NIDCD 

Strategic Plan

Advancing the Science of 

Communication to Improve Lives

2023–2027

2023–2027 NIDCD STRATEGIC PLAN

Table of Contents

Overview and Introduction

Director’s Message ............................................................................................................................................................... 5

NIDCD Mission ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6

NIDCD Vision .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

NIDCD Overview .................................................................................................................................................................... 8

NIDCD Statutory Authority ................................................................................................................................................. 10

Establishment....................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Other Statutory Authority................................................................................................................................................... 11

NIDCD Organizational Chart............................................................................................................................................... 11

Serving as an Efficient and Effective Steward of Public Resources ......................................................................13

Setting Priorities .................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Excel as a Federal Science Agency by Managing for Results ..........................................................................................14

NIH-Wide Crosscutting Priorities ......................................................................................................................................15

Seek Innovation through Partnerships ............................................................................................................................. 17

Strengthen Research Training and Career Development ...............................................................................................17

Reinforce a Culture of Scientific Workforce Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) ............................18

Participate in International Research to Improve Global Health ...................................................................................20

Advance Research to Improve Women’s Health .............................................................................................................. 21

Reduce Health Disparities .................................................................................................................................................. 21

Future Directions in NIDCD Scientific Program Areas ..............................................................................................23

Theme 1: Capitalize on advances in basic research to enhance 

our understanding of normal function and disordered processes. ..............................................................................23

Theme 2: Develop and improve model systems to inform research. ...........................................................................30

Theme 3: Promote a precision medicine approach to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment ..................................34

Theme 4: Translate and implement scientific advances into standard clinical care. ..................................................39

Theme 5: Facilitate use of and best practices in biomedical data science. ..................................................................44

Theme 6: Harness advanced technology to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. ...................................48

Measuring Progress................................................................................................................................................................52

Appendix A: NIDCD Strategic Planning Process ..........................................................................................................53

Pre-Planning ......................................................................................................................................................................... 53

Crowdsourcing New Ideas .................................................................................................................................................. 55

Drafting and Publishing the Strategic Plan ....................................................................................................................... 56

Appendix B: Liaisons from the National Deafness and Other 

Communication Disorders (NDCD) Advisory Council ................................................................................................56

Appendix C: NIDCD Internal Strategic Plan Working Group ...................................................................................57
Deafness protein, Myosin 15, accumulates at tips of finger-like filopodia. Microtubules (red) and actin 

filaments provide structural support for this human HeLa cell (nucleus in blue). Molecular motors like 

Myosin 15 (green), a protein essential for normal hearing in people, use actin filaments as railroad tracks to 

transport cargo within the cell. 

Credit: Melanie Barzik, Ph.D., NIDCD
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I’m pleased to share the 2023–2027 National Institute 

on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 

(NIDCD) Strategic Plan: Advancing the Science of 

Communication to Improve Lives. NIDCD’s mission 

is to improve the lives of the millions of people with 

hearing loss and communication disorders, 

spanning functions of hearing, balance, taste, smell, 

voice, speech, and language. This plan contains 

ambitious, achievable goals for the science in our 

mission areas—goals that will further our scientific 

understanding of basic biological systems, human 

disease mechanisms, and promising treatments.

Thank you to everyone who submitted comments 

on the draft themes and goals for this new plan. I 

appreciate the valuable input provided to us as we 

developed and finalized a plan to guide us for the 

next five years.

Over the past 34 years, researchers supported by 

NIDCD have made seminal advances leading to 

increasingly effective, evidence-based treatments for 

diseases and disorders that affect an ever-growing 

segment of the population. These remarkable 

advances in science, technology, and computing 

create unprecedented opportunities for knowledge 

discovery, clinical translation, and public health. 

NIDCD’s vision statement reflects our hope to 

leverage these opportunities: Advancing the 

science of communication to improve lives. 

Our 2023–2027 Strategic Plan was developed through 

a collaboration between NIDCD staff, the scientific 

community, members of the public, advocacy groups, 

and professional organizations. NIDCD began 

development of the plan by examining both our 

currently funded research project portfolio and 

available assessments of public health need and 

disease burden in our mission areas. We then 

solicited input from the scientific community, 

requesting bold ideas that would lead to 

breakthrough advances in our scientific mission 

areas. These ideas were further explored both in 

virtual meetings with members of the scientific 

community and by NIDCD scientific staff, leading to 

the six major themes and accompanying 

Director’s Message 

aspirational goals of the plan. Additional input 

was obtained from our public constituencies 

during the public comment period. These 

comments were carefully considered, and 

changes to the plan were made where 

appropriate. The process of refining the plan 

depended upon the thoughtful input of 

NIDCD’s collaborators and helped us to identify 

areas of unmet research needs and opportunity, 

including public health challenges that fall 

within our mission and vision. NIDCD will use 

this plan to guide our research investments. 

Our goal is to support innovative, crosscutting, 

multidisciplinary research so that all Americans 

can benefit from scientific discovery that will 

inform effective and accessible prevention 

strategies and treatments for deafness and 

communication disorders. 

Thank you for your interest in NIDCD’s scientific 

research. For more information, please visit the 

NIDCD website at https://www.nidcd.nih.gov.

Sincerely,

Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.

Director

National Institute on Deafness and Other 

Communication Disorders

Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.

Director, NIDCD
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The NIDCD mission is to 

conduct and support research 

and research training in 

the normal and disordered 

processes of hearing, balance, 

taste, smell, voice, speech, 

and language. 

NIDCD Vision

Advancing the science 

of communication to 

improve lives. 

NIDCD Mission

Hearing

Balance

Taste and Smell

Voice, Speech, and Language
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2023–2027 NIDCD STRATEGIC PLAN

NIDCD Overview

NIDCD conducts and supports research and research training related to disease prevention and 

health promotion; addresses special biomedical and behavioral problems experienced by people 

who have communication impairments or disorders; supports research evaluating approaches to 

the identification and treatment of communication disorders and patient outcomes; and supports 

efforts to create devices that substitute for lost and impaired sensory and communication function.

NIDCD accomplishes its research mission through three divisions: the Division of Intramural 

Research (DIR), the Division of Scientific Programs (DSP), and the Division of Extramural Activities 

(DEA). DIR conducts research and related support activities in laboratories and clinics housed at 

National Institutes of Health (NIH). DSP and DEA manage complementary aspects of NIDCD’s 

Extramural Research Program, a program of research grants, career development awards, 

individual and institutional research training awards, center grants, and contracts to public and 

private research institutions and organizations throughout the United States and abroad. 

NIDCD manages a broad range of projects in both basic and clinical research. NIDCD research 

is organized into three program areas: hearing and balance; taste and smell; and voice, speech, 

and language. The three program areas seek to answer fundamental scientific questions about 

normal function and disorders and to identify patient-oriented scientific discoveries for preventing, 

screening, diagnosing, and treating disorders of human communication. 
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Hearing and Balance Program

The NIDCD Hearing Program (https://www.nidcd.nih.

gov/research/extramural/hearing-program) and Balance 

Program (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/extramural/

balance-program) encompass over half of NIDCD’s 

research portfolio. To study normal and disordered 

functions of the auditory and vestibular systems, NIDCD 

employs a wide range of research approaches such as 

molecular genetics, cellular biology, animal models, 

biomedical imaging, nanotechnology, psychoacoustics, 

and structural and functional biology. NIDCD supports 

research that will lead to improved treatments for, and 

prevention of, hearing and balance disorders.

Taste and Smell Program 

The NIDCD Taste and Smell Program (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/extramural/tasteand-smell-program) supports studies of the chemical senses known as taste, smell, and 

chemesthesis (chemically provoked irritation) to enhance our understanding of how individuals 

gather information about their environment and how human chemosensory disorders can be 

diagnosed and treated. NIDCD-supported research on molecular and cellular biology, animal 

models, biophysics, and biochemistry of the olfactory and gustatory systems is paving the way for 

improved diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of chemosensory disorders. 

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

People with vestibular nerve tumors get effective treatments that spare hearing, 

balance, and facial nerve function without surgery.

A newborn undergoes a

hearing screening.
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Voice, Speech, and Language Program 

The NIDCD Voice, Speech, and Language Program (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/

extramural/voice-speech-language-program) uses a wide range of research approaches 

to develop effective diagnostic and intervention strategies for people with communication 

impairments. Research in voice and speech determines the nature, causes, treatment, and 

prevention of disorders of motor speech production throughout the lifespan. Language research 

includes the exploration of the genetic bases of child speech and language disorders, as well as 

characterizing the linguistic and cognitive deficits in children and adults with language disorders.

NIDCD Statutory Authority

42 U.S.C. § 285m: The general purpose of the National Institute on Deafness and Other 

Communication Disorders (hereafter referred to in this subpart as the “Institute”) is the conduct and 

support of research and training, the dissemination of health information, and other programs with 

respect to disorders of hearing and other communication processes, including diseases affecting 

hearing, balance, voice, speech, language, taste, and smell. 

Establishment

President Ronald Reagan signed P.L. 100-553 into law 

on October 28, 1988, establishing NIDCD as a new 

institute within NIH.

Until that time, research on communication sciences 

had been supported by NIH through the National 

Institute of Neurological and Communicative 

Disorders and Stroke (now the National Institute of 

Neurological Disorders and Stroke). Individuals with 

hearing loss, researchers, clinicians, and professional 

societies worked together to advocate to Congress to 

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Health care providers use brain imaging to help identify which children will develop 

persistent speech delay or stuttering and begin transformative therapy early.

Former NFL player Larry Brown (left), 

patient advocate Geraldine Dietz Fox, and 

Congressman Claude Pepper discuss the 

importance of hearing research. 
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authorize a new institute at NIH. Representative Claude Pepper (D-FL) and Senator Tom Harkin 

(D-IA) introduced the National Deafness and Other Communications Disorders Act of 1988 

(S. 1727), which quickly passed in Congress and was signed into law, establishing a new NIH 

institute dedicated to research and research training in hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, 

speech, and language.

Other Statutory Authority

Another provision in the Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. § 280g-1) directs the NIH Director, acting 

through the NIDCD Director, to continue a program of research and development on the efficacy of 

new screening techniques and technology, including clinical studies of screening methods, studies on 

efficacy of intervention, and related research for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment for 

newborns, infants, and young children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. 

NIDCD Organizational Chart

Director

Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.

Deputy Director

Judith Cooper, Ph.D.

Chief Diversity Officer

Cendrine D. Robinson, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Executive Officer, 

Office of Administration

Timothy J. Wheeles, M.A.

Acting Clinical 

Director

Clint T. Allen, M.D.

Scientific 

Director, Division 

of Intramural 

Research

Lisa Cunningham, 

Ph.D.

Director, Division 

of Extramural 

Activities

Rebecca WagenaarMiller, Ph.D.

Director, Division 

of Scientific 

Programs

Judith Cooper, Ph.D.
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Serving as an Efficient and Effective 

Steward of Public Resources

Setting Priorities

The first step in prioritization is to identify the most promising research. NIDCD sets research 

priorities by identifying areas of scientific opportunity that will address the greatest public health 

needs. NIDCD encourages investigator-initiated applications in basic, translational, and clinical 

research that help achieve the NIDCD mission. In particular, the Institute encourages investigators 

to submit applications for research projects that directly address themes and strategic goals within 

NIDCD’s strategic plan. NIDCD will, however, remain flexible to respond to emerging scientific or 

clinical challenges and new opportunities.

NIDCD uses the NIH system of peer review to evaluate meritorious research grant applications. A 

panel of scientific experts from outside of NIH, with both broad and specialized expertise, review 

the applications for overall scientific and technical merit. To learn more about the NIH peer review 

process, see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer-review.htm. 

NIDCD promotes the plan to the research community to increase awareness of Institute priorities. The

plan creates a unified vision for the future with researchers, the public, and policymakers. To develop

the 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, NIDCD solicited input from scientific experts, the National Deafness 

and Other Communication Disorders (NDCD) Advisory Council, NIDCD staff, and the public. See 

Appendix A for more details on the strategic planning process.
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Excel as a Federal Science Agency by 

Managing for Results

NIDCD is a public science agency supported by federal funds. As part of NIH, NIDCD is obligated to 

base its funding decisions on the strength of the proposed science and to make its decisionmaking process transparent. NIDCD upholds its accountability to the American public by 

managing its scientific endeavors to achieve results that improve the lives of individuals who are 

deaf, hard-of-hearing, or presenting with communication disorders. The accountability process 

includes reporting, as required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA); an 

administrative strategic plan that ensures effective, responsive management and operations; and 

agile plans to mitigate the risks involved in fulfilling the NIDCD mission.

GPRA (https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/oepr/performance_reporting), a public law passed by Congress in 1993 

(Public Law 103-62) to improve stewardship in the Federal Government, links resources and 

management decisions with program performance. To comply with GPRA, NIH develops an annual 

plan proposing goals that provide a representative sample of NIH’s activities for each year; 

describes how these goals will be met; and provides evidence to support any claims for successful 

achievement of the goals. Each Institute and Center at NIH participates in the GPRA reporting 

process, including NIDCD.

Internally, NIDCD also effectively manages its public funds for results by developing and using an 

NIDCD Administrative Strategic Plan. Every three years, NIDCD staff identify administrative challenges 

at the Institute and develop an NIDCD Administrative Strategic Plan to address these challenges. The 

Administrative Strategic Plan helps NIDCD manage its administrative services in support of the 

NIDCD’s mission by:

● Modeling innovative management approaches and sharing best practices within and between

NIDCD offices

● Improving employee quality of life and job satisfaction by implementing clear, consistent

administrative service practices

● Providing better decision-making and transparency by setting and tracking goals

Annually, NIDCD conducts a risk inventory assessment to support the NIH Director’s Financial 

Integrity Act attestation and develops a risk management plan to ensure that public funds are 

invested and administered in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. 

The plan examines NIDCD’s activities and assesses risks, establishes methods for control 

of those risks, monitors adherence to the risk-reduction methods, and mitigates risks involved in 

administering the NIDCD mission. NIDCD’s assessment tries to minimize the risk of failure in all 

NIDCD activities, and it is submitted each year as part of the overall NIH Risk Management Program

(https://policymanual.nih.gov/1750).
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NIH-Wide Crosscutting Priorities

Many scientific challenges and opportunities are not unique to any one theme in this plan. To 

emphasize this, NIDCD has identified six key crosscutting priorities that span all aspects of NIDCD’s 

mission. These priorities are:

● Seek innovation through partnerships

● Strengthen research training and career development

● Reinforce a culture of scientific workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA)

● Participate in international research to improve global health

● Advance research to improve women’s health

● Reduce health disparities

A mouse cochlea (purple) grown in cell culture, and neurons (orange) that send information from the 

cochlea to the brain. The cochlea is the hearing organ of the inner ear. Researchers are using these 

miniature structures to learn how individual cell types work and to test potential therapies for hearing loss. 

Credit: Taha A. Jan, M.D., and Mirko Scheibinger, Ph.D., Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.
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THEME 1 

Capitalize on 

advances in 

basic research 

to enhance 

our

understanding 

of normal 

function and 

disordered 

processes

THEME 2

Develop and 

improve 

model 

systems to 

inform 

research

THEME 3

Promote a 

precision 

medicine 

approach to 

prevention, 

diagnosis, and 

treatment 

THEME 4

Translate and 

implement 

scientific 

advances into 

standard 

clinical care 

THEME 5

Facilitate use 

of and best 

practices in 

biomedical 

data science

THEME 6

Harness 

advanced 

technology

to improve 

prevention, 

diagnosis, and 

treatment

NIH-Wide Crosscutting Priorities 

Future Directions in NIDCD Research

Seek innovation through partnerships

Strengthen research training and career development

Reinforce a culture of scientific workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, 

and accessibility 

Participate in international research to improve global health

Advance research to improve women’s health

Reduce health disparities

2023–2027 NIDCD STRATEGIC PLAN 

Advancing the science of communication to improve lives
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Seek Innovation through Partnerships

NIDCD continues to partner with other NIH Institutes and Centers in related research areas to 

leverage what they learn to advance our own mission. Examples include the BRAIN Initiative® (https://

braininitiative.nih.gov), All of Us Research Program (https://allofus.nih.gov), and NIH-wide initiatives in 

the areas of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and Down syndrome (https://www.nih.gov/

include-project/about-down-syndrome). These partnerships improve our understanding of 

communication disorders and encourage innovation. Read more about NIH-wide and trans-agency 

efforts in the “Leveraging Partnerships” section of the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan (https://www.nih.gov/

sites/default/files/about-nih/strategic-plan-fy2021-2025-508.pdf).

Strengthen Research Training

and Career Development

NIDCD recognizes the importance of research training and career development opportunities 

(https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/training) to ensure a productive, diverse, creative, and innovative cadre 

of qualified scientists in basic, clinical, and translational research in the Institute’s mission areas. 

NIDCD is continuously adapting its research training and career development efforts to help new 

scientists establish careers in our mission areas, encourage clinicians to pursue opportunities in 

translational research, and use shared research resources.

The field of human communication sciences greatly benefits from interdisciplinary research teams 

to bridge the gap between laboratory research and patient care. Such teams provide clinicians 

with a deeper understanding of the latest research discoveries, facilitating the introduction of new 

diagnostic and treatment approaches into the clinic. Likewise, these collaborations provide basic 

researchers with a more thorough understanding of patients’ needs, challenges, and opportunities. 

The creation of such interdisciplinary teams—in which scientists with varied perspectives are crosstrained by one another—could spark new ways to better prevent, detect, and treat communication 

and chemosensory disorders by identifying new directions for scientific discovery, conducting 

hypothesis-driven clinical trials, assessing new diagnostic tools and interventions, and improving 

public health and well-being. 
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Reinforce a Culture of Scientific 

Workforce Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, 

and Accessibility (DEIA) 

Research studies indicate that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas 

and distinct perspectives outperform homogeneous teams. NIDCD recognizes the critical need to 

address barriers that interfere with the scientific aspirations of individuals from diverse 

backgrounds (https://diversity.nih.gov/about-us/population-underrepresented), including women 

and minorities, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from rural areas and other underserved 

populations. NIDCD is working to increase the number of individuals from diverse backgrounds in 

the research pipeline in our scientific mission areas, for both the extramural and intramural 

programs (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/building-diverse-scientific-workforce).

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Regardless of background, people of all ages who want to engage in and contribute 

to science will have access to education, training, and career opportunities.
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NIDCD’s ongoing extramural DEIA efforts include:

● Funding opportunities to diversify our training and mentoring pipelines

(https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-21-186.html)

● Funding opportunities to promote workforce diversity among new investigators

(https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DC-23-001.html)

● Detailed guidance on applying for a grant or for research training or career development funding:

▶ How to Apply for a Grant, Research Training, or Career Development Funding

(https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/apply)

▶ Examples of successful grant applications to guide prospective grantees

(https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/sample-grant-applications)

● A webpage describing extramural research workforce diversity programs, including the NIDCD

Diversity Scholars Program(https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/building-diverse-scientificworkforce)

● Broadening distribution of an e-newsletter, which highlights funding opportunity

announcements, upcoming webinars, updates from the NDCD Advisory Council, and other NIH

resources, to recent grant applicants, as well as applicants located at Historically Black Colleges

and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)

● Increased NIDCD participation at conferences that reach a broader audience of professionals

and trainees to share information about application processes and funding opportunities

NIDCD’s ongoing intramural DEIA efforts include:

● Development and use of an NIDCD Intramural Recruitment Guide for all recruitments in the

Institute

● NIDCD internal recruiting committee identification of a diverse list of highly qualified applicants

www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta) for

consideration by NIDCD Intramural Investigators

NIDCD created the position of Chief Diversity Officer and, in 2022, hired the first person to serve in 

this role (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/news/2022/cendrine-d-robinson-selected-nidcds-first-chiefdiversity-officer). This member of the NIDCD leadership team will help direct our efforts to develop 

and retain a diverse extramural and intramural workforce, engage more effectively with 

underrepresented populations in clinical research in our mission areas, and ensure that the NIDCD 

workplace is diverse, respectful, and inclusive. NIDCD recognizes that our ability to remain global 

leaders in scientific discovery and innovation depends upon a pool of highly talented scientists 

from diverse backgrounds.

to the NIH Postbaccalaureate Program (https://
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Participate in International Research to 

Improve Global Health

NIDCD aims to reduce the burden of hearing loss and communication disorders in the United 

States and around the globe. The Institute supports and facilitates global health research at both 

domestic and foreign institutions. NIDCD efforts include support of collaborations between U.S. 

and international researchers at institutions worldwide, expanding the scientific workforce, and 

improving access to the world’s collective scientific talent and expertise. NIDCD also aims to train 

the next generation of scientists to address global health concerns in deafness and 

communication disorders.

By supporting international research, NIDCD can accelerate the discovery of causes and 

interventions for deafness and communication disorders. For example, NIDCD-supported 

international collaborations based in the NIDCD intramural program facilitated the collection of 

genetic data from families around the world who are affected by deafness and stuttering. This 

research uncovered gene variations associated with these conditions and provided additional 

insights into their causes and potential targeted treatments.

Learn more about current international initiatives that are related to NIDCD’s mission: 

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/global-health.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Children with hearing loss, anywhere in the world, can access the most effective 

treatment options—including biologic therapy or advanced technologies—to reach 

their full potential. 
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IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Clinicians utilize research data on sex and gender to improve diagnosis and 

treatment of communication disorders.

Advance Research to Improve 

Women’s Health

Recognizing the importance of both advancing research related to women’s health and encouraging 

women to pursue biomedical research careers, NIDCD is working to promote women’s health 

research, expand the understanding of sex differences, cultivate and retain women in biomedical 

careers, and ensure the inclusion of women in research. NIDCD reports our efforts to include 

women in health research and clinical trials in our biennial update to help evaluate progress on the 

goals described in the Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research (https://orwh.od.nih.

gov/about/trans-nih-strategic-plan-womens-health-research).

Reduce Health Disparities

NIDCD recognizes that medical advances and technology improvements have not improved the 

health of all Americans equally. Health disparities, reflected in disparate access to quality health 

care interventions, have a disproportionately high impact on racial and ethnic minority populations, 

individuals of less privileged socioeconomic status, underserved rural residents, and sexual and 

gender minorities. NIDCD participates in and stands behind the NIH Minority Health and Health 

Disparities (MHHD) Strategic Plan 2021–2025 (https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan/

nih-strategic-plan-directors-foreword.html). NIDCD is taking action to achieve the MHHD Strategic 

Plan goal to advance the scientific understanding of health disparities. For example, NIDCD aims to 

define the rates of hearing impairment by race and ethnicity by 2030. NIDCD’s research opportunities 

to promote diversity (described above) also support the MHHD Strategic Plan goals aimed at 

broadening the cadre of individuals trained to conduct health disparities research. 
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Labelled neurons in the brainstem of a zebrafish that project to the spinal cord. The image is color-coded 

such that the neurons deepest in the brain are yellow, and those closest to the top are purple. Together 

they enable the fish to maintain posture and to navigate through the water. 

Credit: Basak Sevinc, M.S. and David Schoppik, Ph.D., NYU School of Medicine.
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Future Directions in NIDCD 

Scientific Program Areas

NIDCD looks to the scientific community to identify the most promising research and will 

continue to support investigator-initiated projects. Our collaborators identified the themes and 

goals during our strategic planning process (see Appendix A) as areas of opportunity for the Institute. 

Accordingly, these areas are of high priority for the Institute over the next five years. Within the 

themes and goals outlined below, we use the terms “communication” and “sensory” in relation to 

all of NIDCD’s seven mission areas: hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

Theme 1: Capitalize on advances in basic research to enhance 

our understanding of normal function and disordered processes.

Basic research is foundational for all NIDCD mission 

areas, and scientific progress requires interdisciplinary 

approaches to develop new technologies, improve 

methods of data analysis, and provide insight on 

fundamental disease pathways. NIDCD seeks to 

leverage new technologies and recent discoveries to 

better understand normal and disordered function of 

cells, circuits, tissues, whole organs, and systems; and 

individual or social group behaviors that play important 

roles in human communication. By defining what is 

normal in both humans and animal models, we can

 better understand mechanisms of disease. Increasing 

our knowledge of the mechanisms of diseases, disorders, 

and dysfunctions that impair human communication 

and health can lead to fundamental advances and 

technological developments that inform translation 

to clinical care. NIDCD encourages basic research 

collaborations that span the traditional and emerging 

disciplines of life, physical, engineering, computer, 

behavioral, and social sciences.

Illustration of the neurological connections 

in the brain controlling speech production. 

Credit: Stefan Fuertinger, Ph.D. and Kristina 

Simonyan, M.D., Ph.D., Icahn School of 

Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Microscopic image showing neurons in a 

mouse inner ear that relay sound signals

to the brain. 

Credit: Tessa Sanders, Ph.D., NIDCD/NIH.
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Goal 1: Identify and characterize different cell populations in both 

peripheral and central regions.

Hearing, balance, taste, and smell depend upon highly 

specialized cells to detect and process sensory 

information. Understanding the cell types in sensory 

organs and the peripheral and central nervous systems 

is critical to the development of fundamental 

knowledge to guide future treatments. NIDCD 

encourages investigators to identify and characterize 

the molecular, cellular, anatomical, and functional 

properties of cells that are important for 

communication, and to discover how normal function 

can be disrupted in normal aging, diseases, and 

disorders in both model organisms and human tissue, 

across the lifespan. 

Goal 2: Identify and characterize neural circuits involved in

sensory processing.

Cutting-edge technological methods advanced by the 

NIH Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative 

Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative allowed for the 

development of high-speed functional microscopy that 

enables scientists to image extremely rapid, physiological 

changes at the single-cell level and across the brain in 

small animal model systems. Next-generation electrode 

arrays allow simultaneous recordings from hundreds to 

thousands of neurons over time, providing unprecedented 

temporal resolution of neural circuits to produce a 

dynamic picture of brain function in larger animals. 

The Institute recognizes the importance of efforts 

to quantify behaviors and combine them with 

simultaneous recordings of brain activity in humans. 

NIDCD seeks multidisciplinary and innovative projects 

to identify and characterize the neural circuits that play 

a role in sensory processing for communication. 

A developing mitral cell (red) in the 

olfactory bulb of a mouse exhibits 

multiple contacts with incoming sensory 

axons (blue). Mitral cells carry olfactory 

information from the olfactory bulb to the 

rest of the brain. 

Credit: Adam C. Puche, Ph.D., 

University of Maryland.

Some cells in the mouse tastebud express a 

marker for a sugar sensor (red). Detection of 

sweet taste in the mouth plays an 

important role in food intake. 

Credit: Karen Yee, Ph.D., Monell Chemical 

Senses Center.
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NIDCD encourages research to:

● Develop a dynamic map of brain circuits involved in specific sensory pathways

● Examine the neural circuits and computations that underlie multisensory interactions in

communication processing

● Determine the conservation of circuits in a sensory system across species

● Identify the changes to circuits when compromised by sensory and communication deficits

Goal 3: Facilitate the utilization of biopsied and postmortem human 

tissue to advance research.

Working toward the goal of translating basic research to 

clinical research, studies using animal models may 

require validation in human tissue. In order to provide a 

critical link from animal studies to human tissue and 

eventually to clinical practice, NIDCD seeks to improve 

current techniques for the processing and use of 

donated human temporal bones, brains, and other 

sensory tissues. NIDCD encourages the incorporation of 

human tissue studies to complement current work 

using animal models for normal and disordered 

communication. New and/or improved methods are 

needed for characterization and analysis of human 

tissue, such as immunohistochemistry; multi-modal, 

multi-omic sequencing and analyses; and other emerging techniques. NIDCD encourages 

researchers to consider how to best use new imaging techniques and tissue preservation 

methods to study human temporal bones, brains, or other sensory tissues with a goal toward 

improved understanding of human communication disorders, ultimately, in vivo.

The human middle and inner ear are 

encased within the temporal bone (red).

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

People with vocal fold injury can regenerate the cells needed to restore function.
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In vitro culture of spiral ganglion neurons from the cochlea of the inner ear. 

Credit: Alain Dabdoub, Ph.D. and Mirko Scheibinger, Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine.
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Goal 4: Define interactions between immune-mediated networks and 

the influence of inflammation on normal and disordered function.

The immune system protects the body from foreign substances, such as potentially infectious 

agents and toxins, and responds to injury and repair of damaged tissue. The role of the immune 

system in communication disorders is not well understood. Because immune cells can 

contribute to both tissue injury and tissue repair, the signals that mediate these responses must 

be better characterized and defined in sensory systems. NIDCD recognizes the interplay 

between the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system, and the need to 

better understand these processes to improve our ability to prevent and treat communication 

disorders. Resolving this knowledge gap is critical for the prevention and treatment of 

communication dysfunction. It is important to define the immune cell types and signaling 

mechanisms that contribute to communication function and dysfunction. NIDCD encourages 

new approaches to modulating immune responses to viruses (including COVID-19), bacteria, 

and/or injury that impacts sensory and communication function. The goal is to promote tissue 

repair and regeneration while reducing immune responses that damage sensitive cells, tissues, 

and organs needed for effective human communication.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

People with recent exposure to potentially damaging noise may take a pill that 

prevents permanent loss of hearing.
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Theme 2: Develop and improve model systems to inform research.

NIDCD sees a continued critical need for the 

development of relevant model systems to study 

normal and pathologic conditions in human 

communication. The Institute encourages the 

development of new pre-clinical, in vivo, in vitro, 

and in silico model systems, as well as the 

improvement of current models to inform 

research and future clinical translation, leading to 

effective treatments.

Goal 1: Develop robust in vivo and pre-clinical models to study normal 

and disordered function.

NIDCD seeks to support research on in vivo models to deepen our understanding of the 

mechanisms underlying normal and disordered function of the systems involved in human 

communication. By defining what is normal in animal models and humans, researchers can 

better understand underlying causes of communication disorders. In addition, optimization of 

novel therapeutics is usually dependent upon pre-clinical evaluation in animal models or ex vivo 

model systems. Such models can help to inform the decision to advance a therapeutic 

candidate to clinical testing and can provide valuable data for clinical study design. NIDCD 

encourages development of new pre-clinical models to provide an improved translational toolkit 

that will better predict the efficacy and safety of new therapeutic strategies for treating 

communication disorders.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Researchers use pre-clinical models to identify drug targets to treat stuttering in 

children and adults. 

A thick mesh of neurons in a mouse olfactory bulb. The 

olfactory bulb, a structure found in all vertebrates, 

processes odor input detected by the nose. 

Credit: Jeremy McIntyre, Ph.D.,

University of Florida College of Medicine.
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Goal 2: Develop in vitro models to accelerate basic studies and high 

throughput screening.

Cell-based assays and in vitro models can expedite translation of basic research discoveries into 

more specific disease models. Such models may include new organ system platforms (i.e., 

“organs on chips”), or bioengineered platforms that can generate 3-dimensional models of the 

organ systems (i.e., organoids) from human cell sources. These models reproduce critical 

molecular, anatomical, mechanical, and physiological features that mediate tissue and organ 

function, allowing efficient monitoring and interrogation of normal and disordered processes as 

well as the testing of potential therapeutics. This type of in vitro model system can bridge the 

gap between pre-clinical testing in animals and human clinical trials, thus improving safety and 

efficacy of new treatments in humans while also potentially reducing the cost and time needed 

for development of therapies. NIDCD encourages the continued development of cell-based 

assays and other in vitro models for high-throughput or high-content studies, as well as diseasespecific research. 

Fluorescent labeling of human vocal fold fibroblast cells during wound healing. Researchers hope studying vocal fold 

wound healing will lead to treatments for millions of people who have voice disorders. 

Credit: Anete Branco, Ph.D., and Susan Thibeault, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

A ‘tissue chip’ containing miniature versions of taste buds or olfactory epithelium 

allows researchers to screen for and accelerate development of safe and effective 

therapies for chemosensory loss.
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Goal 3: Develop in silico (computer) models to enable insights into 

normal and disordered function.

In silico modeling uses computing power to model complex biological processes. It combines 

the advantages of both in vivo and in vitro experimentation, but without being subject to the 

ethical considerations and lack of control associated with in vivo experiments and without the 

restrictive parameters associated with in vitro experiments. In silico models allow the researcher 

to run multiple, repeated simulations of biological, behavioral, and/or social processes while 

tightly controlling for variables to predict how systems perform. The development of models and 

the use of simulation are powerful adjuncts to improving the predictive value of collected data.

The establishment, maintenance, manipulation, and/or characterization of in silico models 

provides the resources and components for future development of new platforms to model 

pathways and outcomes, including the selection of appropriate in vivo and in vitro models for an 

organ system. NIDCD encourages research in experimental neuroscience and in physical, 

computer, mathematical, and engineering sciences to develop in silico models that are useful for 

studying normal or disordered functions of communication and to integrate such models into 

research project design.
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The nerve in the Drosophila’s (fruit fly’s) antenna passes through a ring of sensory units. Neuron 

membranes are red, and the tips of the sensory neurons are green. 

Credit: Andy Groves, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine.
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Theme 3: Promote a precision medicine approach to 

prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 

Precision medicine considers individual differences in genes, behavioral phenomena, 

environments, and lifestyles in the clinical decision-making process. A significant goal of precision 

medicine is, at the individual level, to deliver the right intervention at the right dose at the right 

time, and to integrate this approach broadly when developing novel therapies and interventions for 

clinical care. Tailoring medical treatments for people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or presenting 

with sensory or communication disorders requires an ability to identify specific populations based 

on their biology to help determine their risk of developing certain conditions and predict their 

response to a specific treatment. Behavioral, environmental, and lifestyle data are important 

determinants of health status and should also be considered in precision medicine strategies. 

NIDCD encourages research to promote the identification of specific subpopulations based on 

biomarkers, risk factors, and other assessments that would improve diagnostic accuracy and 

facilitate development of targeted therapies. 

Goal 1: Accelerate the acquisition and ethical use of genetic and 

phenotypic data.

Comprehensive datasets such as whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing; linkage 

analyses; epigenetic and gene expression profiles; tissue banks; blood and serum samples; 

biopsy specimens; electronic health records; and lifestyle and behavioral or social-factor data are 

needed for scientists to advance precision medicine research efforts. These datasets should be 

accessible to the scientific community, but in the context of respect for and protection of an 

individual’s privacy and confidentiality. All researchers must consider the stewardship, 

intellectual property, reciprocity, and ethical use of these data. With these considerations in 

mind, NIDCD encourages research that will obtain, characterize, and catalog data on the impact 

of and interactions between genetic, phenotypic, and biological data and clinical, environmental, 

behavioral, social, and lifestyle factors, to serve as a resource to advance the understanding of 

the various forms of deafness, communication, and other sensory disorders. 

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

People using prescription drugs to treat cancer or serious infections receive an 

additional treatment to protect their hearing from being damaged by these 

lifesaving drugs.
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Goal 2: Develop genetic and cellular therapies. 

NIDCD seeks research that leads to the development of 

targeted treatments including delivery vehicles, gene 

editing tools, gene repair/correction, and site-specific, 

controlled, and sustained molecular therapies for 

communication disorders. This goal includes 

development of therapies to prevent loss of sensory 

function and/or to restore function after loss has 

occurred. Further, targeted molecular and cellular 

therapies are needed to improve neuronal function, 

resist cell damage from internal and external stressors, 

and enhance cell repair. NIDCD also encourages studies 

designed to elucidate the properties that enable stem 

cells in the sensory organs and the central and 

peripheral nervous systems to proliferate and differentiate, advancing not only the treatment of 

sensory and communication disorders, but also other neurological diseases. While NIDCD 

encourages targeted approaches to treatment, the Institute also encourages and values 

development of treatments that can impact different disorders that share common phenotypes 

(observable characteristics.)

CRISPR-Cas9 is a customizable tool that 

allows scientists to make edits in precise 

areas along a DNA strand. This enables the 

specific and targeted examination of genes 

and can potentially be used as a form of 

gene therapy to treat disease processes. 

Credit: Ernesto del Aguila III, NHGRI/NIH.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Doctors can identify young children who have an increased likelihood of 

developing minimally verbal autism to begin targeted and appropriate 

interventions for effective communication.
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Goal 3: Identify and develop interventions targeted to 

specific subpopulations.

Precision medicine approaches for prevention, detection, and treatment of disorders and 

conditions have immense potential to improve health outcomes for individuals who are deaf, 

hard-of-hearing, or presenting with other communication disorders. Such approaches will allow 

clinicians to select specific treatments based on an individual’s genetic, molecular, physiological, 

imaging results, or other biomarkers. NIDCD encourages research to develop interventions that 

can be applied to subpopulations, with consideration of environmental and social differences, 

and that may result in improved individualized clinical care and better quality of life for those 

with sensory and communication disorders or conditions.

Caregiver holding electroglottograph (EGG) electrodes on a child’s throat to measure vocal fold vibration when 

the child vocalizes. Researchers are using EGG to determine when and why voice quality differences begin to 

develop in autism. 

Credit: Shweta Ghai, Ph.D., Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Department of Pediatrics, 

Emory University School of Medicine.
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Hearing Screening Day in a remote community school in rural northwest Alaska during the Hearing Norton 

Sound cluster-randomized controlled trial. 

Credit: Samantha Kleindienst Robler, Au.D., Ph.D., Norton Sound Health Corporation and Center for 

Hearing Health Equity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Susan D. Emmett, M.D., 

M.P.H., Center for Hearing Health Equity, UAMS.
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Theme 4: Translate and implement scientific advances into 

standard clinical care.

NIDCD encourages the translation of basic biomedical or 

behavioral research discoveries into new clinical tools, 

prostheses, assistive devices, behavioral therapies or 

interventions, and medications to ameliorate 

communication disorders. Translational research is 

facilitated by collaborations and interactions between 

basic scientists and clinical scientists. These interactions 

provide the platform for the bidirectional exchange of 

ideas, stimulate new avenues of research, and accelerate the advancement of basic research 

findings into the clinic. 

NIDCD recognizes that increased dissemination and implementation research is needed to bridge 

the gaps between basic research, clinical implementation, and public health policy, by building a 

knowledge base about how health information, effective interventions, new clinical practices, and 

guidelines and policies are communicated and integrated into public health and health care 

service use in specific settings. Despite scientific and technological discoveries that have improved 

the health of the U.S. population overall, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, 

socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and 

gender minorities experience health disparities and continue to bear disproportionate burdens 

of disease and illness. NIDCD encourages research to improve the health, emotional well-being, 

and quality of life of all individuals impacted by conditions and disorders that fall within the 

NIDCD mission.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Medical providers routinely use smell tests to identify people more likely to develop 

dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders. 
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Goal 1: Accelerate the development of treatments. 

Significant scientific advances have improved our 

understanding of the pathophysiology of many 

communication disorders. In contrast, clinicians struggle 

to treat patients who have disorders for which the 

underlying mechanisms are unknown. The scientific 

community is poised to develop better treatment and 

prevention strategies for many disorders in our mission 

areas using innovative approaches and leveraging 

knowledge and new technologies from related fields of 

research. NIDCD sees great opportunities to improve 

human health in areas such as vaccine development, 

collaborations between interdisciplinary scientists, novel 

interventions, repurposing of drugs approved by the U.S. 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bench-to-bedside 

research, and bedside-to-bench research to prevent and 

treat communication disorders. NIDCD seeks research 

that uses the Small Business Innovation Research/Small 

Business Technology Transfer Programs to commercialize 

novel therapies and devices to treat or prevent 

communication disorders. NIDCD encourages effective 

treatments that consider a whole person approach and 

additional biological, behavioral, psychological, and social research on both humans and animal 

models. 

Taste papilla on the tongue containing 

taste buds (pink) that send information 

through taste nerve fibers (yellow) to the 

brain. Researchers studying taste bud 

regeneration hope to develop ways to help 

people who are unable to fully regenerate 

taste buds, such as after cancer treatment. 

Credit: Dany Gaillard, Ph.D., and Linda 

Barlow, Ph.D., University of Colorado 

Anschutz Medical Campus.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Vaccines that prevent otitis media (ear infections) eliminate this major cause of 

hearing loss, ear disease, pain, and stress for children and their families. 
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Human brain speech functional connectivity in 6–14-year-olds. 

Credit: David R. Moore, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
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Goal 2: Develop, disseminate, and implement evidence-based 

practices to improve health-related outcomes.

NIDCD aims to support research that will close the gap between basic biomedical and behavioral 

discovery and population health and health care delivery for deafness and communication 

disorders. When developing evidence-based practices, researchers should consider racial, ethnic, 

and cultural diversity, as well as disability, gender, and other social determinants of health such as 

socioeconomic status and education. NIDCD encourages dissemination and implementation 

research to identify, understand, and address barriers to the adoption, adaptation, sustainability, 

and integration of evidence-based interventions, tools, and policies.

Goal 3: Promote health equity and improve access to clinical care.

NIDCD seeks to support more research that advances 

the understanding or reduces the impact of health 

disparities and inequities in communication disorders 

among racial/ethnic minorities and other 

underrepresented populations. Tackling the complex 

drivers of health disparities requires strong partnerships 

among researchers, community representatives, 

community organizations, health service providers, 

public health agencies, and policymakers to ensure that 

relevant and culturally and contextually appropriate 

research is conducted, and that findings can be 

translated into sustainable community- and system-level 

changes that promote health equity. NIDCD wants to 

ensure that individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or 

presenting with communication disorders are active 

participants in the research. Their voices, experiences, 

and perspectives are critically important to the 

development of equity, accessibility, and personcentered care. NIDCD encourages innovative clinical and 

translational research that provides the foundation for 

improving accessible and affordable health care for 

these individuals. 

The Hear Here Alabama mobile audiology 

clinic travels to rural communities to 

provide access to hearing healthcare. 

Credit: Marcia Hay-McCutcheon, Ph.D., the 

University of Alabama.
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Theme 5: Facilitate use of and best practices in biomedical

data science.

In alignment with NIH-wide priorities outlined in the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science (https://

datascience.nih.gov/sites/default/files/NIH_Strategic_Plan_for_Data_Science_Final_508.pdf), 

NIDCD seeks to maximize the value of data generated through NIDCD-funded research by 

prioritizing efforts to share biomedical and behavioral data in ways that encourage ongoing use by 

the entire scientific community. Widespread access to shared data, along with other 

advancements in data science, create a unique opportunity to accelerate the discovery of insights 

that will improve the lives of millions of people with communication disorders. Shared scientific 

data accelerate biomedical research discovery, enable validation of research results by 

independent groups, improve accessibility to large datasets that allow researchers to address high 

impact questions through secondary analyses, and promote data reuse across research studies. 

The data in repositories— such as data from model organisms; clinical, observational, and 

longitudinal studies; patient registries; and population-based epidemiological and statistical 

studies—should be standardized and structured in such a way that they are usable and 

interoperable with other repositories. Standard data elements that use controlled vocabularies or 

ontologies enable the use of machine learning to mine existing data. NIDCD encourages the 

management and sharing of scientific data generated from research.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

Selecting targeted therapies for aphasia is made possible by artificial intelligence 

(AI)-assisted diagnostic tools.
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Calcium carbonate crystals in the utricular 

macula, a sensory organ of the inner ear, 

are important for our sense of balance.

Credit: Bechara Kachar, M.D., NIDCD/NIH.

Goal 1: Inform the development and use of standardized outcome 

measures for basic and clinical research.

In recent years, progress in basic research has resulted in 

identification of underlying disease mechanisms in 

several of the NIDCD mission areas. While this progress 

is highly encouraging, one obstacle to the 

demonstration of efficacy in human trials has been the 

lack of widely accepted test strategies and endpoints to 

assess improvement in function. The development of 

standardized outcome measures in basic and clinical 

research will allow for unbiased analysis, interpretation, 

and reporting of results. Such standardized measures of 

behavioral and health outcomes will facilitate crossstudy comparisons and improve the interpretability of 

research findings and translation into evidence-based clinical practice. NIDCD encourages the 

development of standardized outcome measures that are quantifiable, objective, and correlate 

with clinically meaningful changes in the underlying condition to create opportunities for 

comparison or combination of data across studies and lend statistical power to subgroup analysis.

Goal 2: Encourage the use of data repositories to share findable, 

accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data.

Biomedical research generates data for multiple variables and produces large datasets. By 

adhering to FAIR data principles, researchers and data scientists establish a culture of data sharing 

that fully leverages these valuable resources. The FAIR principles, using data and metadata 

standards (ontologies, taxonomies, terminologies), facilitate reuse of data and the ability to 

combine data from different sources to support inquiry using modern computational tools. FAIR 

data allows reposited datasets to be maintained, queried, and reconfigured to facilitate new 

analyses, which contributes to a cost-effective and efficient resource for advancing research. 

NIDCD will continue to partner with the NIH Office of Data Science Strategy in activities aimed at 

modernizing the biomedical research data ecosystem. NIDCD encourages investigators to 

generate biomedical research data that adheres to FAIR principles.
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Goal 3: Develop artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms 

that provide novel insights and applications for prevention, diagnosis, 

and treatment.

Computational approaches that include artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) 

technologies present a tremendous opportunity for data-driven discovery across the NIDCD’s 

mission areas. AI/ML approaches enable researchers to recognize patterns in large volumes of 

data, extract relationships between complex features in the data, and identify characteristics in 

data (including images) that were not previously discerned by conventional analytic processes. AI/

ML technologies, which includes deep learning and neural networks, are quickly becoming an 

integrated part of many areas of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. AI/ML can be 

applied to large quantities of biomedical data to generate new insights and applications for 

improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of communication disorders. 

As new sources of biomedical and health data emerge, the amount of information will continue to 

grow faster than can be interrogated using conventional methods. AI/ML will be an essential tool 

for processing, aggregating, and analyzing the vast amounts of information to drive discovery and 

improve patient care. NIDCD encourages multidisciplinary collaborations among computer or 

information scientists; engineers; and social, behavioral, biomedical, cognitive, and/or economic 

scientists to improve the fundamental understanding of biomedical and health-related processes 

related to NIDCD’s mission. 
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Developing mouse vocal fold tissue; double stained to show cytokeratin K8 (green) and p63 gene 

expression (red). 

Credit: Vlasta Lungova, Ph.D., and Susan Thibeault, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Theme 6: Harness advanced technology to improve prevention, 

diagnosis, and treatment.

Technology has become integral to our lives, and its use is exploding in biomedical and behavioral 

research and in health care practice. Emerging technology has created critical tools, including 

instrumentation, methods, and software that can be applied to a wide variety of challenges in 

sensory and communication sciences. NIDCD recognizes the importance of seeking input from 

potential users of the technology, including individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or presenting 

with communication disorders. NIDCD encourages development of new technology to prevent 

disease; improve diagnoses, clinical decision-making, and treatment; and facilitate communication, 

ultimately leading to better health outcomes and quality of life. 

Goal 1: Employ rational design principles to engineer novel solutions.

Advances in biomedical engineering, coupled with our 

ever-increasing understanding of complex biological 

systems, can help to develop novel approaches to restoring 

function. Our ever-increasing understanding of complex 

biological systems and biomedical engineering can be 

used to conceptualize novel approaches that restore 

function. Human factors are also complex and often play a significant role in the adoption and 

sustained use of new technologies. New clinical tools, prostheses, assistive devices, medications, 

and behavioral therapies should be developed as the technology needed to meet these 

requirements is identified. Rational design principles are based on systematic examination of 

alternatives, identification of variables that can be controlled, and establishment of appropriate 

boundary conditions. This process can lead to, for example, devices specialized for safe and 

prolonged drug delivery to the human inner ear, neural prostheses based on optical stimulation, 

and smart biomaterials that serve as a scaffold to encourage regeneration and repair of tissue. 

NIDCD encourages projects that use rational design principles to engineer therapies based on 

health and disease knowledge that continues to emerge from basic research. 

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

People who are nonverbal express themselves in real time using a personalized 

augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system that is portable 

and lightweight.
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Goal 2: Enhance augmentative and alternative

communication capabilities.

Advances in technology have the potential to play an ever-increasing role in augmentative and 

alternative communication (AAC) devices that assist people who have complex communication 

needs. Innovations such as brain computer interfaces, which are based on computer translation of 

changes in brain activity derived from a user’s intent, are examples of the potential these technologies 

hold for improving communication. Similarly, NIDCD seeks to support novel approaches to AAC 

integration. NIDCD recognizes AI/ML as tools that can facilitate normal communication and 

improve accessibility for those with communication disorders. Leveraging existing AI/ML for AAC 

devices expands the ease with which treatment strategies may be adopted by individuals who are 

deaf, hard-of-hearing, or presenting with communication disorders, as well as their families and 

caregivers. For children who have hearing loss or speech and language disorders, AAC devices can 

provide tailored interventions to match the context of the child’s environment and integration into 

the child’s acquisition of language. NIDCD encourages multidisciplinary teams that leverage 

expertise in neuroscience, engineering, and social and behavioral science to help millions 

worldwide who cannot rely on their hearing or speech to communicate.

An NIH-supported technology application called CoConstruct was developed for individuals with complex 

communication needs. 

Credit: Melanie Fried-Oken, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University.
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Goal 3: Develop specialized in vivo imaging capabilities to improve 

diagnosis and treatment.

NIDCD seeks to enhance the development and application of advanced imaging and 

computational approaches to disorders of human communication. In vivo imaging is an essential 

component in the development of biological advances and the clinical application of treatments 

of communication disorders. Systems-wide studies of the molecular and cellular pathways 

associated with NIDCD-related research areas will require that innovative imaging solutions be 

developed in a highly multidisciplinary environment. NIDCD encourages research technologies 

that enable imaging of living human tissue relevant to communication and communication 

disorders to enable precise diagnosis and the development of new and targeted treatments. 

IMAGINE THE FUTURE...

People with inner ear disease see their health care provider for live imaging to 

enable precision diagnosis and treatment.
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Measuring Progress

NIDCD will track progress on the themes and goals of this plan. Examples of progress may be new 

research advances, Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), research projects, workshops, 

collaborative efforts, etc. NIDCD will share updates on our website.
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Appendix A: NIDCD Strategic 

Planning Process

Pre-Planning

In the fall of 2019, the NIDCD’s Science Policy and Planning Branch (SPPB) began the process of 

updating the 2017–2021 NIDCD Strategic Plan for research. NIDCD formed an Internal Strategic 

Plan Working Group (ISPWG) of NIDCD staff to guide the process. Membership of ISPWG included 

representation from all NIDCD divisions. ISPWG’s roster is included below. In January 2020, ISPWG 

presented the strategic plan process and timeline to the NDCD Advisory Council. 
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NIDCD published a Request for Information (NOT-DC-20-001, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/

notice-files/NOT-DC-20-001.html) in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts and in the Federal 

Register (FR Doc. 2020-01480, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/29/2020-01480/

notice-to-announce-request-for-information-to-assist-in-the-development-of-a-new-strategicplan-for) in early 2020 with five broad questions designed to solicit input about unmet public 

health needs and the public’s ideas for how to advance NIDCD’s research mission. This Request for 

Information was open for 60 days. SPPB reviewed all (383) submissions and summarized them for 

internal consideration as the Institute developed the new plan.

NIDCD performed several analyses to help guide decision-making during the strategic planning 

process. SPPB conducted a portfolio analysis (https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=37917, start at the

19 minute 23 second mark) of NIDCD-funded research projects and tied the project to Priority 

Areas in the 2017-2021 NIDCD Strategic Plan to describe what NIDCD is currently funding and to 

track progress. In order to describe the public health impact of disorders and conditions within 

NIDCD’s mission areas, SPPB performed two additional analyses, including a literature review to 

describe disease frequency estimates for hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and 

language disorders, and a collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 

(CDC’s) National Center for Health Statistics to estimate the annual number of physician visits 

based on ICD, or International Classification of Diseases codes for the most common 

communication and sensory disorders. ISPWG presented the results from these analyses to the 

NDCD Advisory Council and to other scientific experts, members of the public, advocacy groups, 

and professional organizations at a public session of the Council. 
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Crowdsourcing New Ideas

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays in the strategic planning process by preventing 

NIDCD from hosting in-person meetings to obtain input. NIDCD used a virtual crowdsourcing 

methodology based on Open Space Technology principles to gather ideas from scientific subject 

matter experts in the NIDCD’s seven mission areas.

NIDCD hosted a virtual kickoff meeting in July 2021. ISPWG sought broad perspective by inviting 

more than 200 subject matter experts representing the extramural scientific community, program 

officials, and scientists from other NIH Institutes and Centers, two NDCD Advisory Council liaisons, and 

representatives from the FDA, CDC, Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Resources and Services 

Administration, Department of Defense, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In 

selecting the group, NIDCD considered career stages, educational levels, geographic locations, 

demographic information, gender, disability status, and under-represented minority representation. 

At the July kickoff meeting, Dr. Tucci described the NIDCD’s grassroots approach to developing the 

strategic plan, presented the results of the analyses described in the pre-planning phase, and 

invited the attendees to submit visionary ideas that would advance the NIDCD mission. The 

subject matter experts were asked to keep the public health needs in mind when formulating 

ideas. Dr. Tucci also presented an idea-collection template that NIDCD shared with invitees 

(OMB # 0925-0766) and asked them to collaborate and distribute this template to their colleagues 
56

2023–2027 NIDCD STRATEGIC PLAN

in other disciplines and in other fields of science. In December 2021, a subset of more than 100 

subject matter experts was invited to a virtual idea-generation meeting to further discuss and 

refine submitted ideas and to generate new ones. 

Drafting and Publishing the 

Strategic Plan

From January to April 2022, ISPWG reviewed and analyzed all the crowdsourced ideas and used 

them to develop strategic themes and goals for the plan. The draft themes and goals were made 

available for a 30-day public comment period on the NIDCD website in May 2022. To announce the 

public comment period, NIDCD published a Notice in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts 

(NOT-DC-22-008, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DC-22-008.html) and a 

Notice in the Federal Register (FR Doc. 2022-09317, https://www.federalregister.gov/

documents/2022/05/02/2022-09317/national-institute-on-deafness-and-other-communicationdisorders-draft-2022-2027-strategic-plan). NIDCD received 379 comments from the public. After 

appropriate public comment input was incorporated into the draft themes and goals, ISPWG 

developed a full draft 2023–2027 Strategic Plan that was reviewed and approved by NIDCD staff, 

NIH leadership, and finalized for publication on the NIDCD website in late fall of 2022. 

Appendix B: Liaisons from the 

National Deafness and Other 

Communication Disorders (NDCD) 

Advisory Council

Nirupa Chaudhari, Ph.D.

Professor, Physiology & Biophysics

University of Miami School of Medicine

Dan H. Sanes, Ph.D.

Professor, Center for Neural Science 

New York University
2023–2027 NIDCD STRATEGIC PLAN

57

Appendix C: NIDCD Internal 

Strategic Plan Working Group

Roster

Members NIDCD Division, Office, or Branch

Wade Chien, M.D., FACS Inner Ear Gene Therapy Program

Laura Cole, Ph.D. Science Policy and Planning Branch

Judith Cooper, Ph.D. Office of the Director

Lisa Cunningham, Ph.D. Office of the Scientific Director and Section 

on Sensory Cell Biology

Janet Cyr, Ph.D. Division of Scientific Programs

Joanne Karimbakas, M.S., R.D.N. Office of Health Communication 

and Public Liaison

Lisa Kennedy, Ph.D. Science Policy and Planning Branch

Kelly King, Au.D., Ph.D. Division of Scientific Programs

Roger Miller, Ph.D. Division of Scientific Programs

Cathy Rowe, B.S. Science Policy and Planning Branch

Elka Scordalakes, Ph.D. Science Policy and Planning Branch

Melissa Stick, Ph.D., M.P.H. Scientific Review Branch

Susan Sullivan, Ph.D. Division of Scientific Programs

Debara Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A. Office of the Director

Becky Wagenaar-Miller, Ph.D. Division of Extramural Activities

Timothy Wheeles, M.A. Office of Administration

Baldwin Wong, B.S. Science Policy and Planning Branch