Project Grant 2542288
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) awarded $567,771 to the University of Illinois on September 17, 2025, to conduct research examining the perceptual effects of processing and transmission delay in hearing assistive technology. The project, which extends through August 31, 2028, will deliver empirical research findings on tolerable delay limits for digital hearing devices through a series of controlled experiments in...
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded Northwestern University $284,531 on September 1, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to implement an evidence-based approach to individualized hearing aid processing. The research translates laboratory findings on customized hearing aid signal processing into a clinical setting. The project will conduct an observational clinical trial comparing hearing aid...
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded Northwestern University $691,500 on July 10, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to develop and evaluate a broad online educational program supporting assessment and improvement of auditory wellness through over-the-counter hearing aids and communication training. The project, titled "ASSESS CHOOSE EDUCATE AND LEARN (ACEL): A Program for Improved Auditory...
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded the University of Texas at Austin $192,953 on September 1, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to investigate the role of extended high frequencies on speech perception challenges in aging. The research addresses a critical gap in clinical audiology: many adults experience difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments by midlife despite normal results on...
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded Oregon Health & Science University $645,488 on July 27, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to characterize how the auditory cortex processes speech and natural sounds in noisy, dynamic acoustic environments. The research addresses the clinical problem that listeners with hearing loss struggle to understand speech in complex noise despite hearing aids and...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) awarded the University of South Florida a Project Grant totaling $585,999 under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) on August 6, 2025, with a completion date of July 31, 2030. This research initiative, titled "How Spatial Cues Support Communication: Interactions Between Auditory Spatial Features and Task Demands Across Cortical...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Computer and Network Systems awarded the University of Massachusetts $250,000 on August 15, 2026, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) to design a closed-loop unvoiced interaction paradigm enabling silent communication with computing devices. The project develops a sensor-equipped ear-worn device that detects jaw movement and facial vibrations associated with unvoiced speech, transforming these signals into...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences awarded a $200,000 Project Grant under the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.075) to the University of Illinois on February 15, 2022. The grant will support research to develop new evaluation and training paradigms for inclusive automatic speech recognition over a three-year period ending January 31, 2025. Specifically, the university will create open-source black-box and...
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded Duke University $707,920 on July 10, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to conduct a randomized controlled trial examining whether low-gain, clinician-fitted hearing aids benefit adults with functional hearing difficulties—individuals who report difficulty following conversations in adverse listening environments yet present with clinically normal hearing on...
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded the University of Wisconsin - Madison $1,166,250 on September 16, 2025, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to investigate cortical population coding and network effects of cochlear implant stimulation during behavioral tasks. The research addresses gaps in understanding why cochlear implant outcomes vary significantly among users, despite over one million people...
The National Science Foundation Division of Computing and Communication Foundations awarded the University of Illinois $408,890 on August 1, 2026, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) to develop hearing technology for group conversations in noisy environments. The project will create spatial signal processing algorithms that enhance sounds close to the listener while suppressing distant background noise, addressing a gap in assistive listening devices that currently focus on one-on-one conversations. The researchers will develop proximity-based source separation algorithms robust against the unpredictable motion and turn-taking of real group conversations, and will create real-time spatial remixing algorithms to ensure immersive sound presentation even when talkers and listeners move. The work will also investigate how background noise, echoes, and motion degrade group conversation intelligibility. The project extends beyond algorithm development to include human perception studies, student training in assistive technology design informed by people with disabilities, and educational materials on assistive listening technology for the hearing loss community. This research targets support for approximately 50 million Americans with hearing loss, including older adults. Performance occurs in Chicago, Illinois, with a period of performance ending July 31, 2031.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $408.9k | 7/20/26 |