AAA aims to study hearing loss in musicians
In April 2020, the American Academy of Audiology launches its newest grant program to support research relative to the prevention and treatment of hearing loss in musicians. The Music and Hearing Research Grant program will support research studies to add to the body of knowledge that will shape best practices in this area of audiology practice. The grant program is sponsored by the American Academy of Audiology Foundation through the generous contribution of Michael Santucci, AuD.
The Music and Hearing Grant Program will be administered by the Research Initiatives Committee. The request for applications (RFA) will go out in April with a submission deadline of June 30. Submissions may focus on topics related to music and hearing, and a list of suggested topics will accompany the RFA.
All audiologists who are members of the Academy are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $10,000. Members of the Academy’s former Musicians Task Force will offer expert review of the grant applications, and the Research Initiatives Committee will use this feedback to inform the selection of one or more projects in the first cycle of the annual grant program.
A unique feature of the grant program will be the availability of Dr. Michael Santucci and others to provide consultation to funded projects. Dr. Santucci is committed to ensuring that the grant program is supporting research that will expand the evidence and literature base to promote best practices. He and other seasoned music researchers offer experience and lessons learned to inform the new research. This consultative component of the program is consistent with other efforts by the Academy to connect audiology researchers with one another, as seen in the Audiology Research Conference (ARC) and the new event at AAA 2020, the Grant Review—Speed Dating session, hosted by Dr. Nick Reed.
The Academy is fortunate to have Dr. Michael Santucci championing this important area of research. His willingness to share his expertise in this area is invaluable to shaping the success of the grant program and the research it funds. His commitment to offering guidance to investigators—not just giving money—will guarantee that the funded research adds substantially to our understanding of the interactions between music and hearing, said Ryan McCreery, PhD, chair of the Research Initiatives Committee.
SOURCE: American Academy of Audiology
