January 14, 2025, Toronto – CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation, the research and innovation arm of Canadian Hearing Services, is proud to announce the awarding of four new research grants, totaling $315,000, to institutions leading research aimed at improving the quality of life for Deaf and hard of hearing people.
The selected research projects hold immense promise to advance understanding and foster breakthroughs in hearing health and Deaf studies.
“We are thrilled to congratulate this year’s grant recipients and celebrate their innovative contributions to advancing research that supports improving the quality of life for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals,” says Julia N. Dumanian, President & Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Hearing Services. “By supporting this essential work, we are driving meaningful impact for Deaf and hard of hearing communities worldwide.”
We are honored to present the following principal investigators and their host institutions with CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation Research Grants:
John A. E. Anderson, Ph.D, Carleton University (Grant Award: $98,598)
Exploring Cognitive Reserve in Adults With Acute and Chronic Hearing Loss Using Multi-Modal MRI. Submitted by John A. E. Anderson, Ph.D, this project will identify brain regions associated with cognitive reserve in various types of hearing loss, determine how the type of hearing loss and cognitive reserve relate, and offer suggestions to mitigate the decline, providing a framework to assess cognitive intervention in the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Learn more.
Susan Scollie, Ph.D., Western University (Grant Award: $67,150)
Achieving Exercise Accessibility and Understanding Fitness Benefits for Adults Who are Hard of Hearing. Submitted by Susan Scollie, Ph.D., this project will develop new training methods for promoting hearing-accessible fitness classes, study important hearing technologies that can make hearing easier, and assess the benefits of a hearing-accessible fitness program on hearing function, cognitive abilities, and the satisfaction of the exercise participants. Learn more.
Ewan Macpherson, Ph.D., Western University (Grant Award: $49,815)
Perception and Joint Optimization of Reverberation and Hearing Aid Settings for Hard of Hearing Musicians. Submitted by Ewan Macpherson, Ph.D., this project will investigate the sensitivity to, and preferences for, the acoustic characteristics of performance spaces of musicians who use hearing aids. Findings from this project will inform the development of guidelines for acoustical treatments to optimize performance spaces for hard of hearing musicians, creating more inclusive and accommodating spaces for musicians with hearing difficulties. Learn more.
Walter Wittich, Ph.D., Université de Montréal (Grant Award: $100,000)
Growing Up & Being Deafblind: Analyzing Comparative Case Studies From the Global South and North to Illuminate Enablers That Lead Towards the Achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Submitted by Walter Wittich, Ph.D., this project will explore the experiences of adults with congenital or early-onset deafblindness, who may have finished compulsory/formal education, and/or might have had some experience of employment, and/or further studies. Findings will inform the development of an international project that will result in policy recommendations and contributions towards the achievement of the international community’s agreed Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more.
The winning projects were rigorously evaluated by our Grant Review Panel, comprised of 55 established national and international researchers from different areas of the globe including Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia.
“Understanding hearing access in a real-world setting is crucial for creating fitness programs that meet the needs of Canadian adults experiencing hearing loss. The CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation grant gives us the opportunity to explore the impact of hearing-accessible fitness classes for those who use hearing technologies,” said Dr. Susan Scollie, Director of the National Centre for Audiology at Western University and Principal Investigator on the research grant. “The collaboration between Western’s Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging and the National Centre for Audiology is essential to the study, ensuring a co-design process where feedback from participants and instructors informs future exercise and training initiatives.”
We are excited to announce that on January 20, 2025, CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation will begin accepting call for proposals for the two-year funding cycle beginning in fall 2025. Visit our Funding Application page for more details.
About CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation Research Grants
In January 2024, CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation launched its call for proposals for the two-year funding period (2024-26). We received an overwhelming response from the scientific community, all of which aligned and supported our Research Areas of Focus, which are as follows:
HEARING HEALTH: Prevention, identification, assessment, treatment and (re)habilitation of auditory and balance difficulties.
HEARING SCIENCE: Research activities in the fields of acoustics, neuroscience, and psychology concerning perception of sound.
DEAF STUDIES: Research activities in the fields of sociology, language, and inclusivity of Deaf individuals.
QUALITY OF LIFE: Research related to the impacts of being Deaf or hard of hearing as it relates to an individual’s ability to participate and enjoy life activities.
For several months, our Grant Review Panel, comprised of 55 established national and international researchers from different areas of the globe including Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia, diligently reviewed research funding applications, ensuring that any grant awarded by CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation supports research of the highest quality and improves the quality of life for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Our Research & Innovation Advisory Council, comprised of senior researchers, acted as observers and strategic advisors to ensure a fair and transparent awards process, making recommendations to the Board of Directors on Full Applications approved for funding.
We are very grateful to our Research & Innovation Advisory Council and Grant Review Panel members for voluntarily contributing their time and expertise.
View the Research & Innovation Advisory Council here.
View the full list of Grant Review Panel members here.
About Canadian Hearing Services Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation
CHS Global Partnerships for Research & Innovation is a non-profit organization and strategic leader in the advancement of research and innovation that improves the quality of life for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. As the research and innovation arm of Canadian Hearing Services, it supports intellectual inquiry by providing research grants that address multifaceted issues related to hearing loss and facilitates innovative solutions for the sector.
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