The hearing industry’s largest manufacturers have collaborated to create the Hearing Industry Research Consortium (IRC). The IRC’s mission is reportedly to develop and direct a non-competitive, mutually agreed upon research agenda that is designed to benefit the industry, as well as hearing professionals and end users.
The IRC board is comprised of the heads of research from GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Siemens, Starkey Hearing Technologies, and Widex, including GN ReSound’s Andre
w Dittberner; Oticon’s Graham Naylor; Phonak’s Stefan Launer; Siemens’ Joel Beilin; Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Brent Edwards; and Widex’ Lars Sunesen.
As its first act, the IRC is requesting proposals for a research project on the interaction of cognition and hearing aids. The $300,000 grant was announced at the International Hearing Aid Research Conference in Lake Tahoe, Calif, and is open to research labs around the world.
Applications are available on the IRC web site at www.hearingirc.com/#requests. The deadline for proposals is November 1, 2012, and decisions will be announced by December 31, 2012.
SOURCE: Starkey Hearing Technologies
