Federal Project Grant Award Summary

New York University School of Medicine received $721,226 in funding from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173). The award, which commenced June 1, 2026, and extends through May 31, 2031, supports the development and validation of the Wireless Ambulatory Voice Evaluator (WAVE), a miniaturized wearable device designed to enable real-world monitoring and management of voice disorders outside clinical settings. The WAVE integrates sensors to capture voice, respiratory, and environmental sound data in a discrete form factor approximately the size of a U.S. quarter, addressing the critical gap in current voice dosimetry technologies that are cumbersome, visibly obtrusive, and cost-prohibitive for clinical use.

The project pursues three specific research objectives: (1) optimizing real-time algorithms for accurate on-device vocal dose calculations, (2) validating the WAVE device to measure the Lombard Effect (vocal adaptation to background noise) in both laboratory and real-world environments, and (3) validating respiratory monitoring capabilities to identify disordered vocal behaviors. Successful completion of this research will transition voice dosimetry from the research laboratory to clinical practice, enabling clinicians and patients to objectively monitor vocal behaviors and receive actionable insights for improved treatment of dysphonia and other voice disorders.