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Protecting Teachers’ Voices: Investigating Risk Factors, Conducting Cost Analysis

Award Number: R01DC012315
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/30/2026

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Protecting Teachers’ Voices: Investigating Risk Factors, Conducting Cost Analysis - Project Summary/Abstract Schoolteachers' voice problems are significant, not only because these problems occur so frequently but also because they undermine education in the classroom. Research has suggested a number of associated physiological, environmental and behavioral risk factors. However, there remains a fundamental gap in understanding how these factors affect a teacher's vocal health over an academic year, how teachers accommodate to the vocal demands they face, and how current occupational policies (including the financial and attitudinal constraints of educational policy makers) impact teachers' vocal health for better or worse. The continued presence of this gap represents a barrier to the long-term objective of proactive vocal health education and treatment programs. The current proposal will move this effort forward by exploring how teachers' voices are impacted by vocal risks, vocal demands, vocal accommodations, and vocal health policies. Grounded on strong foundational work and a track record of productivity, this experienced research team proposes 3 specific aims: [1] determine the interactions between risk factors related to the occurrence of teacher voice problems by collating cross-sectional and longitudinal (year-long) survey data with standard voice assessments; [2] quantify teachers' perceptual acuity of and accommodations to classroom vocal demands that increase the risk of vocal health issues by conducting analyses in classrooms and simulated classroom environments; and [3] investigate current and potential school-based policies to improve vocal health by reviewing administrative responses to teachers' voice issues and quantifying the costs of both solutions and non-interventions. The proposal is innovative in part because it [1] merges virtual reality technologies with previously tested acoustic simulations and real-time auralization systems to replicate classroom risk factors and interventions, eliciting “teacher voice” in controlled settings; [2] uses tools from a unique interdisciplinary research team (i.e. Voice Science, Acoustical Engineering, Communication, Economics, and Education) to approach a significant public health concern in an effectively innovative way; and [3] combines reliable survey instruments (developed using focus groups) with standard clinical assessments to accurately track how a teacher's voice changes over the course of a full academic year. While not a clinical trial, these data are clinically significant because patterns may emerge, including when voice problems occur, how they progress over an academic year, and why they improve or worsen. Thus, this ambitious approach will help preserve teachers' vocal health, improve the response when problems present, and indirectly improve the classroom learning environment. The results of this study will also provide school administrators and other policy makers with practical and economically feasible information that can be used to support teachers' vocal health in their districts.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $463,058 )
2025	2025	THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA	105 JESSUP HALL	IOWA CITY	IA	52242	JOHNSON	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	10	4/21/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$463,058
2025	2024	THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA	105 JESSUP HALL	IOWA CITY	IA	52242	JOHNSON	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	9	10/15/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$646,068
2025	2023	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	8	10/15/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$632,131
2025	2022	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	7	10/15/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$13,937
														Subtotal = $463,058

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $570,040 )
2024	2024	THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA	105 JESSUP HALL	IOWA CITY	IA	52242	JOHNSON	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	9	7/3/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$570,040
2024	2023	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	8	7/2/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $570,040

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $632,131 )
2023	2023	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	8	4/25/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$632,131
														Subtotal = $632,131

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $642,969 )
2022	2022	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	7	4/28/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$642,969
														Subtotal = $642,969

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $667,607 )
2021	2021	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	6	2/23/2021	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$667,607
														Subtotal = $667,607

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2020	2017	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	9/29/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2019	2017	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	3/11/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $454,456 )
2017	2017	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	5	5/24/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$45,446
2017	2017	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	3/17/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$409,010
														Subtotal = $454,456

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $479,081 )
2016	2016	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	301 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	4	3/17/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$479,081
														Subtotal = $479,081

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $515,799 )
2015	2015	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	301 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	3/24/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$515,799
														Subtotal = $515,799

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $521,260 )
2014	2014	MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY	301 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	EAST LANSING	MI	48824	INGHAM	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	3/26/2014	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$521,260
														Subtotal = $521,260

Issue Date FY: 2013 ( Subtotal = $596,819 )
2013	2013	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 SOUTH PRESIDENT`S CIRCLE	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	4/12/2013	NEW	$596,819
														Subtotal = $596,819

Grand Total All Awards = $5,543,220

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Protecting Teachers’ Voices: Investigating Risk Factors, Conducting Cost Analysis

Award Number: R01DC012315

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/30/2026

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