The University of Southern California will receive $1.2 million under a four-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct research on structured variability in vocal tract articulation dynamics during speech. The grant is part of NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering program, which supports research and education in all areas of computing, communications, and information science and engineering.
Through May 2027, USC researchers will use advanced magnetic resonance imaging and computational modeling to study how humans naturally vary their speech production over timescales ranging from hours to years. The project aims to provide new insights into the flexibility and control of spoken language by directly observing vocal tract motion during speech. Findings have the potential to advance speech science and improve speech-based technologies by addressing variability in production within and across individuals. The research may also help develop robust biomarkers for clinical conditions based on normative articulation data.