American Hearing Research Foundation

The American Hearing Research Foundation serves two vital roles: to fund significant research in hearing and balance disorders, and to help educate the public about hearing loss and balance disorders related to the inner ear.

At the American Hearing Research Foundation (AHRF), we recognize the boundless potential of new ideas. That’s why we focus our resources on providing seed grants for novel research to better understand and overcome hearing and balance disorders of the inner ear, funding five to ten research projects each year, with grant awards up to $50,000. We also work hard to educate the public about these life-altering conditions, which are inextricably linked to people’s quality of life and their ability to meet the challenges of day-to-day living.

Tracing our roots back to the first-ever successful operation to restore hearing, AHRF has been making new discoveries possible for more than 60 years. Founded in 1956 by Dr. George E. Shambaugh, Jr., our mission is to better understand why we lose hearing and balance functions and to learn all that we can about how to preserve and restore them.