The Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) has announced that applications for the 2025–2026 cycle of its Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program are now open. This program offers financial support to researchers working on hearing and balance studies, including areas of otology that often lack sufficient funding.
Key Details:
- Application Period: October 28, 2024, to March 3, 2025, ending at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Funding Available: Up to $50,000 per project for one year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year.
- Program Duration: From October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.
- Notification of Funding Decisions: Recipients will be informed in August 2025.
- Grant Payment Schedule: Grants will be paid in two installments, in October 2025 and April 2026.
The ERG program is highly competitive, with grants awarded only to the most promising researchers. This funding often acts as a stepping stone for recipients, allowing them to secure further support from major agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Impressively, from 2002 to the present, ERG recipients have received an average of $59 in federal research funding for every $1 granted through ERG.
HHF strongly encourages early career researchers to apply. Senior researchers may also be eligible for certain grant types, as outlined in the detailed Call for Applications.
Those interested in contributing to significant advancements in hearing and balance research can find more details and application instructions on the HHF’s official Call for Applications page https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/emerging-research-grants-call-for-applications-fy25.
Scholarship and Research grant interviews, here are some likely interview questions you may encounter for the Emerging Research Grants 2025:
Research Proposal Questions
1. Can you provide a brief overview of your proposed research project?
2. What is the key research question or hypothesis you aim to address?
3. Why is this research important and timely? What gap in knowledge does it fill?
4. How does your proposed methodology align with the research objectives?
5. What are the potential impacts or applications of your research findings?
6. How feasible is your project within the proposed timeline and budget?
## Qualifications and Experience
7. What relevant research experience do you have that prepares you for this project?
8. How does this project build on your previous work or expertise?
9. What specific skills or techniques will you need to develop further for this research?
10. How do you plan to expand your technical skills and research methodologies during the grant period?
## Career Development
11. How does this grant fit into your long-term career goals?
12. Where do you see yourself professionally in 5-10 years?
13. How will this grant help you transition to becoming an independent researcher?
14. What mentorship or training opportunities have you identified to support your development?
## Research Environment
15. Why is your proposed host institution an ideal place to conduct this research?
16. What key resources or facilities will you have access to?
17. How will you build collaborations and networks in your field during the grant?
## Project Management
18. How do you plan to manage the day-to-day aspects of the project?
19. What challenges do you anticipate and how will you address them?
20. How will you ensure responsible conduct of research and promote an inclusive lab culture?
## Broader Impacts
21. How will you communicate your research findings to both academic and public audiences?
22. What are the potential societal benefits of your work?
23. How does your project align with the funding agency’s mission and priorities?
Remember to prepare concise yet comprehensive answers, provide specific examples from your experience where relevant, and convey your enthusiasm for the research. Be ready to discuss both the scientific aspects and the broader implications of your work.