Research Grants
Funding opportunities, application details, and past recipients
AOS provides funding and guidance to create opportunities for surgeons and scientists to explore new directions and stimulate them to develop their academic careers, all in the goal of furthering improvements in patient care.
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AOS Research Fund
The purpose of the American Otological Society (AOS) Research Fund is to encourage and support academic research in sciences related to the ear. All of the AOS grant awards may involve research on any topic related to ear disorders. The research need not be directly on an otological disease but may explore normal functions of the cochlea, labyrinth, or central auditory or vestibular systems. However, the applicant must describe how the proposed research will benefit our understanding, diagnosis or treatment of otological disorders. AOS is highly supportive of junior investigators, providing competitive funding for exploratory or promising research that may be too novel to merit grants from other sources.
Clinician-Scientist Award
Offers $80,000 over two years to early-career otologists and neurotologists pursuing mentored research that bridges clinical practice and scientific discovery.
Research Grant Award
Provides up to $55,000 for one year to support innovative, hypothesis-driven research that advances understanding and treatment of hearing and balance disorders.
Clinical Investigation
Designed to support clinical project development, this grant awards up to $66,000 for one year to help investigators generate preliminary data toward an NIH R21 or R01-style trial.
Research Training Fellowship
This full-time fellowship provides funding (e.g., $44,000/year) for residents, fellows, medical or graduate students to pursue mentored research in hearing, balance, or related fields.
Multi-Centered Clinical Cooperative Seed Grant
Launching in 2026, this seed grant aims to support multi-site clinical studies that build collaborative infrastructure and preliminary coordination for larger clinical trials in otology and neurotology.
Impact
Learn more about how AOS research is changing hearing and balance health.
The AOS Clinician-Scientist Award was a cornerstone of my early success, funding work that helps tailor rehabilitation and improve outcomes for individual cochlear implant patients.
AARON MOBERLY
Research Advisory Board
The Research Advisory Board (RAB) is comprised of seven AOS members, each serving a 7-year term and three consultants, each serving a 5-year term. These individuals are among the most highly respected researchers in our field. The expertise and dedication of the RAB are critical to the success of the mission of the AOS Research Foundation.
Hari Bharadwaj, PhD
Consultant
Wade W. Chien, MD
Trustee
Sharon Cushing, MD, MSc
Trustee
Samuel Gubbels, MD
Trustee
Richard K. Gurgel, MD, MSCI
Trustee, Executive Secretary-Elect
Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD
Trustee
Radha Kalluri, PhD
Consultant
Rick Nelson, MD, PhD
Trustee
Lina A. J. Reiss, PhD
Consultant
Andrea Vambutas, MD
Executive Secretary
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