The mission of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) is to support and conduct biomedical and behavioral research and research training on normal mechanisms as well as diseases and disorders of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. The National Strategic Research Plan, developed in 1989, guides the research supported and conducted by the Institute in each of its seven areas of interest. Each year two sections of the plan are updated. The chemical senses section of the plan was updated in January 1993. Some of the research goals, opportunities, and priorities in olfaction recommended by the panel are presented. Several examples of NIDCD-supported olfactory research are also highlighted. Research opportunities for foreign scientists in the Institute's intramural laboratories are outlined along with opportunities for international collaborations through the NIDCD. NIDCD funding for chemosensory research is provided.