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NIDCD-Funded Research Projects on Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care

Working with scientists and clinical researchers throughout the United States, the NIDCD supports clinical and translational research to develop and test novel strategies to overcome barriers to care and to improve the quality of life for the millions of adults with hearing loss.

As of January 2023, the NIDCD supports 20 active research projects (below) on accessible and affordable hearing health care (AAHHC). We also list (below, second chart) completed projects on accessible and affordable hearing health care. The projects are listed alphabetically by the last name of the principal investigator (PI). In some cases, a project might begin under one type of grant mechanism and continue under another mechanism, with the same project name. Completed projects that are continuing under a different funding mechanism are marked with an asterisk(*).

Active Projects: Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care

PI Name (Contact) PI Institution Name Institution Location Project Title Project Number
Arnold, Michelle Leigh University of South Florida Tampa, FL Development and Assessment of a Spanish-Language Toolkit for Hearing Loss Self-Management R21DC018655
Bush, Matthew Lee University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Hearing Healthcare Assessment in Rural Communities (HHARC) R21DC019602
Clavier, Odile H Creare, LLC Hanover, NH Diagnostic Hearing Test System for Telehealth in Underserved Communities R44DC017930
Condon, John Paul Innovative Design Labs, Inc. Minneapolis, MN A System and Process to Improve the Satisfaction with Hearing Health Products R44DC019072
Havey, Gary D Advanced Medical Electronics Corporation Maple Grove, MN Gaze Steered Microphone Array for Understanding Speech in Noisy Areas R44DC013216
Hay-McCutcheon, Marcia Jean University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Improving Access and Affordability of Adult Hearing Healthcare: Effectiveness of Community-based Interventions in West Central and South Alabama R33DC019073
Kidd, Gary R Communication Disorders Technology, Inc Bloomington, IN Efficient Estimation of Auditory Sensitivity and Cognitive Status Using Spoken-Digit Tests R33DC017967
Lin, Frank R Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Randomized Trial of Telehealth vs Conventional Hearing Care Delivery in the ACHIEVE Study R01DC019408
Mamo, Sara K University of Massachusetts Amherst Hadley, MA Speech Understanding Ability and Communication Intervention for Persons with Age-Related Hearing Loss and Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia K23DC016855
Mamo, Sara K University of Massachusetts Amherst Hadley, MA Communication Challenges and Barriers to Hearing Care for Older Bilingual Latinx Adults R21DC020790
McClannahan, Katrina Washington University St. Louis, MO Factors that Contribute to Hearing Handicap and Hearing Loss Treatment Decisions of Older Adults K01DC017522
Moore, David Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr Cincinnati, OH

Mobile Technologies for Delivering Hearing Care Through Community Health Workers

R21DC019598
Nieman, Carrie L Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD K-HEARS: Hearing Health Equity through Accessible Research and Solutions for Korean Americans R56DC019686
Nieman, Carrie L Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Extending Capacity for Affordable, Accessible Hearing Care through Peer Mentorship R21DC020149
Pavlovic, Caslav Vojislav Batandcat, Inc. Palo Alto, CA Portable Hearing Laboratory R44DC016247
Pesko, Michael Georgia State University Atlanta, GA Effect of Hearing Aid Insurance Coverage Requirements for Adults on Utilization R01DC019661
Shen, Yi University of Washington Seatte, WA Individualized Assessment and Prediction of Speech-Recognition Performance in Adults with Age-Related Hearing Loss R01DC017988
Souza, Pamela E Northwestern University Chicago, IL Characterizing Variability in Hearing Aid Outcomes Among Older Adults R01DC012289
Wang, Molin Harvard School of Public Health Boston, MA What Causes Hearing Loss: Advancing the Methods R01DC017717
Wu, Yu-Hsiang University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Cost-Effective Hearing Aid Delivery Models: Outcomes, Value, and Candidacy R01DC015997

Completed Projects: Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care

PI Name (Contact) PI Institution Name Institution Location Project Title Project Number
Clavier, Odile H Creare, LLC Hanover, NH Wireless and Noise Attenuating Headset for Automated Hearing Screening R43DC012861
Clavier, Odile H Creare, LLC Hanover, NH Wireless and Noise Attenuating Headset for Automated Hearing Screening R44DC012861
Clavier, Odile H Creare, LLC Hanover, NH Low-Cost User-Friendly Otoacoustic Emissions Probe R43DC014007
Clavier, Odile H Creare, LLC Hanover, NH Low-Cost User-Friendly Otoacoustic Emissions Probe R44DC014007
Coco, Laura Susan University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Community Health Workers and Teleaudiology as a Culturally-Relevant Approach to Improving Access to Hearing Health Care F32DC017081
Cox, Robyn Masterton University of Memphis Memphis, TN Effectiveness of Basic and Premium Hearing Aid Features for Older Adults R01DC011550
Delgado, Rafael E Intelligent Hearing Systems Miami, FL Insert Earphones with Integrated In-Ear Calibration R43DC016567
Dhar, Sumitrajit Northwestern University Evanston, IL Can Consumers and Audiologists Detect Ear Disease Prior to Hearing Aid Use? R21DC013115
Dhar, Sumitrajit Northwestern University Evanston, IL Can Consumers and Audiologists Detect Ear Disease Prior to Hearing Aid Use? R33DC013115
Eberhardt, Silvio Peter Seehear, LLC Arlington, VA Speech Perception Training: Advanced Scoring and Feedback Methods R43DC015418
Eberhardt, Silvio Peter Seehear, LLC Arlington, VA Speech Perception Training: Advanced Scoring and Feedback Methods R44DC015418
Feeney, Martin Patrick Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR Community-Based Kiosks for Hearing Screening and Education R21DC011769
Feeney, Martin Patrick Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR Community-Based Kiosks for Hearing Screening and Education R33DC011769
Francis, Howard W Duke University Durham, NC Addressing Barriers to Adult Hearing Healthcare R33DC015003
Humes, Larry E Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN Efficacy of a Low-Cost Hearing Aid and Comparison of Service-Delivery Models R01DC011771
Kajiyama, Bruno Photozig, Inc. Moffett Field, CA Social Game to Improve Hearing Health Care Outcomes R44DC013114
Krause, Lee Stanley Securboration, Inc. Melbourne, FL Individualized Signal Processing Strategy to Reduce Hearing Health Care Cost/Disp R43DC013623
Levitt, Harry Nmi Advanced Hearing Concepts, Inc. Bodega Bay, CA Realistic Hearing-Aid Outcome Measures R01DC012305
Levitt, Harry Nmi Advanced Hearing Concepts, Inc. Bodega Bay, CA Computer-Based Virtual Hearing Aid R24DC011513
Levitt, Harry Nmi Advanced Hearing Concepts, Inc. Bodega Bay, CA In-Home Hearing-Aid Fitting, Evaluation, and Training R43DC012202
Lin, Frank R Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Implementing a Community Health Worker Model for Providing Hearing Healthcare Services to Older Adults R21DC015062
Lin, Frank R Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Implementing a Community Health Worker Model for Providing Hearing Healthcare Services to Older Adults R33DC015062
Mackersie, Carol L San Diego State University San Diego, CA Self Fitting of Amplification: Methodology and Candidacy R21DC015046
Mackersie, Carol L San Diego State University San Diego, CA Self Fitting of Amplification: Methodology and Candidacy R33DC015046
Marrone, Nicole L University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Reducing Disparities in Access to Hearing Healthcare on the U.S.-Mexico Border R21DC013681
Marrone, Nicole L University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Reducing Disparities In Access To Hearing Healthcare on the U.S.-Mexico Border R33DC013681
Molis, Michelle Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR Application of Health Behavior Models to Predict Hearing Healthcare Outcomes R01DC013761
Moore, David Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH Smartphone Based Detection and Intervention for Hearing Loss in Low and Middle Income Countries R21DC016241
Nelson, Peggy B University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN Improving Amplification Outcomes in Noise by Self-Directed Hearing Aid Fitting R01DC013267
Norris, James A * Creare, LLC Hanover, NH Diagnostic Hearing Test System for Telehealth in Underserved Communities R43DC017930
Pavlovic, Caslav Vojislav Batandcat, Inc. Palo Alto, CA Technology to Support Deployment of Intelligent Audio Devices R44DC014030
Peters, Thomas Michael University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Protecting Farm Workers' Hearing Through Personalized Automated Training R21DC017022
Prakash, S R Caraway Software, Inc. Saratoga, CA User-Driven Fitting of Hearing Aids and Other Assistive Hearing Devices R43DC016251
Runge, Christina Ascending Hearing Technologies, LLC New Berlin, WI Custom-Fit Personal Sound Amplification Smartphone Application R41DC017939
Sabin, Andrew T Bose Corporation Framingham, MA User-Centered Control of Hearing Aid Signal Processing R44DC013093
Saunders, James E Dartmouth College Lebanon, NH Mobile Smartphone Audiometry to Improve Hearing Outcomes in Nicaraguan Children R21DC015133
Simpson, Ann-Catherin Nordbo Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC Age-Related Hearing Loss: Health Services Utilization and Outcomes R21DC014031
Tremblay, Kelly University of Washington Seattle, WA Linking SNR to Hearing Aid Success R01DC012769
Tremblay, Kelly University of Washington Seattle, WA Defining Universal Barriers and Incentives to Seeking Hearing Health Care R21DC013161
Tremblay, Kelly University of Washington Seattle, WA Defining Universal Barriers and Incentives to Seeking Hearing Health Care R33DC013161
Tremblay, Kelly University of Washington Seattle, WA N/A R41DC017109
Tucci, Debara L Duke University Durham, NC Addressing Barriers to Adult Hearing Healthcare R21DC015003
Wallhagen, Margaret I University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA Primary Care Intervention Promoting Hearing Health Care Service Access and Use R21DC011510
Wallhagen, Margaret I University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA Primary Care Intervention Promoting Hearing Health Care Service Access and Use R33DC011510
Watson, Charles S Communication Disorders Technology, Inc Bloomington, IN A National Screening Test for Hearing, Administered by Telephone R44DC009719
Watson, Charles S * Communication Disorders Technology, Inc Bloomington, IN Efficient Estimation of Auditory Sensitivity and Cognitive Status Using Spoken-Digit Tests R21DC017967
Wu, Yu-Hsiang University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Minimal Technologies for Hearing Aid Success in Elderly Adults R03DC012551
Zazove, Philip University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI Early Audiology Referral in Primary Care R21DC013678
Zazove, Philip University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI Early Audiology Referral in Primary Care R33DC013678
Zurek, Patrick M Sensimetrics Corporation Malden, MA Speech Enhancer for Group Conversation in Noise R43DC017100

* This project continued under a different funding mechanism. See the corresponding active project listing for this Project Number.

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