Researcher Resources

Welcome to the American Tinnitus Association's Researcher Resource page.
Here you will find the latest research funding announcements, information about the results of ATA's advocacy efforts and links to important facts, statistics and published research articles.

Quick jump to:

• FY12 Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program (PH/TBIRP)
• The Lurie Prize in Biomedical Science: $100,000 Award
• DoD Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Applied Neurotrauma Research Award
• ATA's Continuing Efforts to Increase Research Funding
• Resources and Statistical Information on Tinnitus in Military Populations
• Helpful Research Articles
• Web Resources

FY12 Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program (PH/TBIRP)

Award Mechanism: Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP) Award

Eligibility: All DoD, VA and other investigators

Key Mechanism Elements: Intended to support a PTSD-focused Consortium aimed at improving the health and well-being of Service Members and Veterans impacted by PTSD.

Objectives: (1) significantly advance treatment strategies for PTSD including interventions for early, chronic, and latent onset cases and (2) identify and confirm clinically relevant biomarkers as diagnostic and prognostic indicators of PTSD and co-occurring disorders.

Focus Areas: Research activities must be focused on PTSD and common cooccurring psychiatric or medical conditions (detailed list in Program Announcement/ Funding Opportunity). Studies must focus primarily on the clinical application of biomarker-based research (diagnostic-, prognostic-, and treatment-focused). Applications must propose a minimum of four (4) studies reflective of the Consortium’s objectives and Focus Areas.

Funding: The maximum period of performance is 5 years. The maximum allowable total costs for the entire period of performance are $20.336M via the DoD. Up to an additional $5M per year for 5 years will be provided by the VA to VA sites, depending upon availability of funds.

Submission Deadline: Pre-application: October 25, 2012 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (ET); Application: January 4, 2013 11:59 p.m. ET

Award Mechanism: Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) Award

Eligibility: All DoD, VA and other investigators

Key Mechanism Elements: Intended to support establishment of a comprehensive understanding of the chronic sequelae associated with neurotrauma, primarily focused on mTBI/concussion.

Objectives: (1) establish the association of the chronic effects of mTBI and common comorbidities, (2) determine whether there is a causative effect of chronic mTBI/concussion on neurodegenerative disease and other comorbidities, (3) identify diagnostic and prognostic indicators of neurodegenerative disease and other comorbidities associated with mTBI/concussion, and (4) develop and advance methods to treat and rehabilitate chronic neurodegenerative disease and comorbid effects of mTBI/concussion.

Focus Areas: The Consortium must also propose activities that include the majority of comorbidities associated with the chronic effects of neurotrauma (examples provided in solicitation).
The research studies must evaluate chronic (defined here as greater than 3 months), anatomic, molecular, and physiological changes related to neurotrauma. Applications must include an initial set of proposed studies agreed upon by the Consortium participants, which are reflective of the Consortium’s Objectives and aligned Focus Areas.

Funding: The maximum period of performance is 5 years. The maximum allowable total costs for the entire period of performance are $37.175M via the DoD. Up to an additional $5M per year for 5 years will be provided by the VA to VA sites, depending upon availability of funds.

Submission Deadline: Application: January 4, 2013 11:59 p.m. ET

Award Mechanism: Traumatic Brain Injury Research Award

Eligibility: Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

Key Mechanism Elements: Promote new/innovative ideas that are still in the early stages of development and have the potential to yield highly impactful data and new avenues of investigation to further the field of interest; Advance knowledge regarding the theoretical construct surrounding the TBI Research Area of interest to increase scientific understanding of certain phenomena or behaviors; Propose new paradigms or challenging existing paradigms; Address the technical feasibility of promising new products, pharmacologic agents, behavioral and rehabilitation interventions, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, clinical guidance, and/or emerging approaches and technologies. Clinical trials are NOT allowed. Applications MUST specifically address the following research area: Identify and Characterize Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury-related Neurodegenerative Diseases, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, with emphasis on those mechanisms of injury that
may be amenable to targeted therapy approaches, includingbiomarkers that would identify mechanistic targets of therapeutic
approaches. Applications that include meaningful and productive collaborations between two investigators are encouraged.

Funding: The maximum period of performance is 3 years. The maximum allowable direct costs for the entire period of performance are $500,000 plus indirect costs for applications with a single PI and $600,000 plus indirect costs for applications with a Partnering PI.

Submission Deadline: Deadlines have expired

Synopsis of FY12 PH/TBI Award Mechanisms (PDF) provides detailed description and key elements of the award mechanism.

The Lurie Prize in Biomedical Science: $100,000 Award

In 2013, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) will present the first Lurie Prize, an annual award recognizing outstanding achievement by a promising young scientist in biomedical research.

The Prize amount is $100,000 and to be used as the awardee chooses. It is made possible by a generous gift from FNIH board member Ann Lurie.

The Awardee will be selected by a jury of six distinguished biomedical researchers, chaired by Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., Distinguished Service Professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacology & Psychiatry, The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The Award will be presented to the selected scientist in spring 2013, in Washington, D.C.

For more information, visit http://www.fnih.org/content/lurie-prize-biomedical-sciences

DoD Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Applied Neurotrauma Research Award

Applications for the Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (PH/TBI) Research Program are being solicited by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Defense Health Program (DHP).

Description: The PH/TBI Research Program was established in FY07 for the purpose of complementing ongoing Department of Defense (DOD) efforts towards promoting a better standard of care for PH (including post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and TBI in the areas of prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. This includes research to benefit service members, their family members, veterans, and other beneficiaries of the Military Health System (MHS).

Details: Visit http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=JXP1TTHTy2HwKSFnV721SFB84LDWNsbhGffpBnLyJzW11XNHpTwQ!-2014031096?oppId=126553&mode=VIEW to learn more about this opportunity.

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ATA's Continuing Efforts to Increase Research Funding

For a second consecutive year, ATA's advocacy efforts have resulted in tinnitus research funding available through the Department of Defense (DoD). The 2009 Appropriations bill includes requests for tinnitus-related proposals for the DoD's $50 million Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP). This program was established by Congress in 1999 to study combat-related illness.

For the second year in a row, tinnitus is the number one service-connected disability for returning Global War on Terror veterans. This sharp increase is disconcerting, but we are pleased that our advocacy efforts have resulted in this opportunity for tinnitus investigators to continue and broaden their work toward finding a cure for all who suffer.

We are also excited to inform you that two tinnitus investigators have been awarded funding for their tinnitus proposals submitted for the 2008 funding allocation of $50 million - tinnitus research garnered nearly $2 million of that allocation all on its own. Competing with 21 other maladies and hundreds of proposals, Drs. Hinrich Staecker, current ATA Scientific Advisory Committee member, and Didier Depireux  are the recipients of these Investigator Initiated awards. You can read more about their projects here.

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Resources and Statistical Information on Tinnitus in Military Populations

The following documents provide current statistical information, research and resources on tinnitus in military populations. ATA is happy to provide this helpful information to you at the click of your mouse.

• This fact sheet provides data on the incidence of tinnitus within veterans and active duty military, as well as the alarming increases in tinnitus seen in other at-risk populations.
• Here are the most common service-connected disabilities for veterans from all periods of service. Tinnitus is number one. 
• This chart provides a startling visual of the current number of veterans who are service-connected for tinnitus as well as projections out to 2014 based on the current trends. 
• This chart shows the most common service-connected disabilities for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
• The PRMRP's annual report from 2007 provides a snapshot of the types of grant proposals received and funded during the 2007 funding cycle.
• The Veterans Independent Budget for 2012 outlines some of the latest developments in military-related tinnitus, including a recent study done "in theater" (war theater) on the blast exposed population. The findings indicate that rates of tinnitus, are exceeding hearing loss at all times, indicating that this group of veterans may have higher rates of tinnitus without hearing loss than maybe any other veteran group to-date. 

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Helpful Research Articles

Tinnitus, blast exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), global war on terror, soldiers, veterans, traumatic brain injury (TBI), military, service-connected disability.

Web Resources