World-leading facility opened for australian hearing research
[ Research Review 0809 ]
A $115m HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and the University of Melbourne’s new state-of-the-art Audiology, Hearing and Speech Sciences facility was co-launched recently by Senator Kim Carr.
Hearing loss affects one in six Australians, with the real economic cost estimated to be $11.7 billion per annum – with an aging population and increasing noise in our everyday lives, prevalence and costs are projected to rise.
The HEARing CRC is a consortium of Australia’s foremost hearing research, clinical and industry organisations. The CRC will receive $32.5 million in Commonwealth funding over seven years; funding began in the 2007 financial year.
With additional funds as cash and in-kind contributions from the five core members (Australian Hearing, Cochlear Ltd Pty, Macquarie University, Siemens Ltd Pty and the University of Melbourne) and 21 support members, the total investment in hearing research will be over $115 million.
The HEARing CRC was launched in conjunction with the opening of the University’s world-leading Audiology, Hearing and Speech Sciences building, which is the CRC’s new home.
The University’s new $3.5 million custom-designed facility at 550 Swanston Street has been a major refurbishment project. It contains the largest sound booth in Australia for cutting-edge acoustic research, high-spec engineering facilities, as well as state-of-the-art AV equipment for teaching and research.
The building also houses the University’s Audiology Clinic, which like the Department of Otolaryngology, retains close connections with the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and its world-renowned Cochlear Implant Clinic.
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