Artificial Intelligence in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research Grant

Awardees

Winner Announcement: All research grant recipients will be announced and recognized at the annual ASHA Convention.

After Your Award

Required Reports: Grant recipients are required to submit a final report of activities and outcomes to the ASHFoundation no later than December 31, 2027. (Should the research study cover a two-year period, grant recipients are required to submit a progress report by December 31, 2027, and a final comprehensive report by December 31, 2028.) The ASHFoundation will provide report requirements.

The ASHFoundation strongly encourages recipients to submit their results to appropriate ASHA journals and to the ASHA Convention Program Committee, with appropriate acknowledgment of ASHFoundation funding.

The investigators commit to depositing de-identified datasets, documentation, and analysis code in a trusted repository for broad research reuse no later than six months following completion of the study.

About

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) invites investigators to submit proposals for up to four research grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. The Artificial Intelligence in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research Grant (AI in CSD Research Grant) supports interdisciplinary studies that advance the ethical, clinically and scientifically grounded application and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into communication sciences and disorders (CSD) practice and service delivery. Funding may be applied to one- or two-year studies.

Note for 2026: In preparation for the grant submission and review processes, the ASHFoundation requests that potential investigators complete an Intent to Submit Form by March 4. This step must be completed before proceeding to the proposal submission process.

Background

In 2025, with support from Reality Labs Research at Meta, the ASHFoundation hosted the invitation-only Foundations and Innovations in Artificial Intelligence Summit: The Future Is Now. The Summit convened 100 leading researchers, students, postdoctoral fellows, and federal representatives to explore current and emerging AI applications in CSD, resulting in the development of this focused funding opportunity informed by participant discussions and presentations.

Specific Objectives of the Funding Opportunity

As part of this initiative, the ASHFoundation invites proposals that implement AI technologies to transform clinical practice, education, and research in CSD. Proposals that are submitted under this funding opportunity must meet the following:

Include interdisciplinary research teams that integrate clinicians and AI researchers,
Address clinically relevant questions or have a clear translational potential, and
Cover one or more of the following priority areas: AI-driven assessment and diagnosis; personalized and adaptive interventions; equitable access to care; data infrastructure for predictive analytics; technology innovation; prevention for public health; and ethical standards for AI integration.

Who Should Apply

Investigators/collaborators include the following:

Teams must be interdisciplinary and collaborative, combining clinical and technical expertise (e.g., CSD researchers, AI researchers, clinicians, engineers, and/or physician specialists such as MD laryngologists) and must include an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, and/or speech-language hearing scientist.
Teams must include a Principal Investigator (PI) with a PhD or equivalent research doctorate in CSD or a related discipline.
Students must be involved as key personnel and meaningfully engaged in research activities, with opportunities for collaborative PhD training bridging CSD and AI domains.

Research Focus

Examples of relevant research topics include but are not limited to:

Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis: Automation of speech, language, hearing, and swallowing assessments; differential diagnosis using multimodal AI; early detection of disorders; biomarker discovery.
Treatment & Intervention: AI-assisted therapy planning, adaptive prescriptions, robotics in therapy, and home-based practice tools.
Access & Equity: AI interpreters, virtual therapy bots, and culturally appropriate resources for underserved communities.
Data & Research: Development of longitudinal datasets, multimodal data analysis, electronic medical records (EMR) mining, and predictive modeling.
Technology & Innovation: Adaptive automatic speech recognition (ASR), wearable communication devices, brain-computer interfaces, and digital twins.
Public Health & Prevention: AI-driven campaigns, risk factor identification, and population-level strategies.
Ethics & Standards: Guidelines for responsible AI use, transparency, and accountability.

Note: Proposals that are basic algorithmic developments without clear actionable insights to improve clinical practice and/or the lives of individuals with communication impairments will not be considered.

Eligibility

Principal Investigators must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the AI in CSD Research Grant.

The Principal Investigator (PI) must have received a PhD or equivalent research doctorate in communication sciences and disorders or a related discipline.
The proposed research must have direct relevance to priority areas in audiology and/or speech-language pathology.
The proposal submitted to the 2026 AI in CSD Research Grant competition cannot be submitted to other 2026 ASHFoundation grant competitions. However, investigators may apply to other ASHFoundation grant competitions in the same year if the proposals address different research topics.

Evaluation Criteria

A review panel will evaluate the proposals on the following three factors.

Factor 1: Importance of the Research (Scored 1-9)

Significance: Evaluate the potential for the proposed research to advance the discipline of CSD and address critical clinical needs in audiology or speech-language pathology. Consider whether the study tackles high-impact areas such as AI-driven clinical assessment and diagnosis, personalized treatment and intervention, expanding access and equity, or data infrastructure for predictive analytics. Assess the strength of the rationale, the rigor of the scientific background (including prior literature and/or preliminary data), and whether the proposed work is justified by existing evidence.
Innovation: Determine the extent to which the study introduces novel AI applications. Consider whether the research refines or improves theoretical concepts, methods, or interventions, and whether it demonstrates groundbreaking potential to transform clinical practice, education, or public health prevention strategies. Note that while technical or conceptual innovation can elevate importance, studies applying established AI approaches to critical gaps (e.g., underserved populations, ethical standards) may also be impactful.

Factor 2: Rigor and Feasibility (Scored 1-9)

Approach: Assess whether the proposed design is likely to yield compelling, reproducible findings and whether the study can be completed within the proposed timeframe. Consider the appropriateness and feasibility of the methodology, including AI model development and validation, data collection from multimodal sources, and plans for ethical and transparent implementation. Evaluate whether the proposal includes detailed measurement and data-analysis plans, addresses potential challenges, and demonstrates a clear path toward completion.

Factor 3: Expertise and Resources (Scored 1-9)

Investigator: Evaluate the investigator’s ability to execute the study successfully, based on training, experience, and prior accomplishments in CSD and/or AI. Consider whether the proposal includes clear management and budget plans and demonstrates capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Environment: Assess whether the investigator has access to necessary resources, including computational infrastructure for AI development, clinical datasets, simulation tools, and qualified personnel. Consider the availability of subjects and institutional support for ethical compliance and data security.

Reviewers assign scores on a 1–9 scale for each of the three factors. They will also consider these factors to assign an Overall Impact score, reflecting their assessment of the study’s potential to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved. A proposal does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged to have a major scientific impact.

The Overall Impact score reflects reviewers' assessment of whether a significant study will be completed competently, be disseminated widely, move the discipline forward, and yield a substantial research program.

The three factors contribute differentially to the Overall Impact score, corresponding to the goals and funding levels of the grant competition. To ensure competitiveness for the next level of external funding, Factor 1 (Importance of the Research) is most heavily weighted. The proposed approach should frame the study within the larger program of research that will require subsequent funding. Factor 3 (Expertise and Resources) will be considered to determine if there is sufficient strength to compete successfully at the next level of funding.

Proposal Guidelines

Proposal text should be single-spaced and placed in ONE PDF document containing all required sections in the order indicated. Additional attachments will not be accepted. Please use stated titles below as section headers. Font should be 12 point and non-condensed, and margins should be at least 1 inch.

Investigator Letter (limit 2 pages)
Provide a letter of application addressed to the “Grant Review Committee”. Explain briefly why you are pursuing the proposed study, the specific aims of the proposed research, and how the study fits into your career stage and future plans. Note that this letter is not intended to be a replication of the detailed investigator biographical sketch.
Abstract (limit 1 page)
Concisely describe the study's focus, specific aims, important aspects of the research approach, and potential contributions to clinical practice and the discipline.
Research Plan (limit 12 pages)
- Specific Aims and Significance: Present the problem or issue to be addressed and the specific objectives of the proposed research. Include research questions and/or hypotheses. Provide the rationale for a pilot study in the context of the overall research program. Address the potential impact of the study’s activities on the discipline of CSD and the science of increasing evidence in practice. Highlight how your work advances evidence-based practice and aligns with priority areas (see above Research Focus section).
- Design and Methodology: Provide a description and justification for the study design. Include justifications for participants, data collection procedures, measurement techniques (including, as appropriate, reliability/credibility and control measures), data reduction and analysis, and evaluation procedures. Address potential challenges that could affect completion of the study. This section should provide enough detail for reviewers to make informed judgments about the soundness of the proposed research.
- Facilities and Resources: Describe the facilities, resources, and participants available to the investigators for carrying out the proposed study. Note evidence of past collaborations that support the origin of the proposal and will promote the completion of the research study.
References and/or Appendices, as appropriate (limit 6 pages)
Collaboration Plan (limit 2 pages)
Define the interdisciplinary collaborative team and explain its value in addressing the research topic. Specify the collaborative effort, including a description of each investigator’s roles, responsibilities, and activities; how these roles are integrated in relation to the objectives of the research study; and each investigator’s time allotment for research relative to other assigned duties.
Management Plan (limit 2 pages)
Describe study activities, timelines, and dissemination plans for research results. The study start date will be December 1, 2026. If applicable, include information about travel required for direct research activity and indicate why it is essential to the investigation. Include a plan for submitting follow-up research grant proposals with details about the potential funding agencies, grant mechanisms, and anticipated deadlines. Incorporate ASHFoundation report deadlines into the management timeline.
Budget (limit 2 pages)
The total budget range is $25,000 - $50,000. State the importance of the requested funds to the study’s objectives and indicate how funds will be allocated to specific expense items. Funds will be disbursed to the designated Principal Investigator.

Funding will not cover institutional overhead, indirect costs, or travel costs for conventions or meetings. Funding will be disbursed in U.S. currency to investigators in the United States or Canada. There are no other restrictions, but the case must be clear on how the funds are essential to conduct the research in light of other resources or support available to the investigators.

For specific budget-related questions, contact foundationprograms@asha.org.
Investigators Biographical Sketches
The investigator and any participating key personnel must provide NIH-style Biographical Sketches using either of the following formats:
- Biographical Sketch Common Form
  Submit a PDF version of the Biographical Sketch Common Form. Note that the ASHFoundation does not accept biosketch submissions through SciENcv directly. If using the Common Form, investigators must submit their biosketch as a PDF. There is no page limit.
- Classic NIH Biosketch
  Submit a biosketch following the classic (pre-2026) NIH biosketch format [DOC]. Adapt the form as appropriate for the investigator profile. There is a five-page limit for this format.
IRB Approval
1. If the study will use human participants, include the consent form(s) and a copy of the Institutional Review Board’s (IRB) approval.
2. If the IRB approval is not available at time of submission, investigators should clearly explain the status of the IRB approval process and send the approval documents to the ASHFoundation (at foundationprograms@asha.org) as soon as IRB approval is granted, but no later than August 31, 2026.
  
  Human Subjects (If IRB Approval is not available at time of submission):
  If the IRB approval will not be available until the deadline of August 31, 2026, investigators should provide the following information (limit 3 pages):
  - Describe the characteristics of the participant population, including the anticipated number, age range, gender, ethnic background, and health status.
    Identify sources of research materials in the form of specimens, records, and/or data.
  - Describe plans for the recruitment of participants and the consent procedures to be followed (include a copy of consent form to be used).
  - Describe the potential risks to participants (e.g., physical, psychological, social, legal, or other).
  - Describe the procedures for protecting against or minimizing potential risks to participants, including risks to confidentiality.
  - Discuss why risks to participants are reasonable in relation to the anticipated benefits and to the importance of possible resulting knowledge.
Letters of Institutional Commitment
Submit letters addressed to the “Grant Review Committee” from the administrators of each investigators’ current employment settings indicating that the proposed study is endorsed and will not present a conflict of interest with their current responsibilities and commitments. If more than one practice setting is involved, letters should be obtained for all sites.
Letters of Support (optional)
If applicable, provide letters of support from cooperating agencies and key personnel (i.e., other collaborators and consultants) involved in the research study.
Data Sharing Plan
Investigators are required to attest to the following data sharing commitment as part of the submission process. The investigators commit to depositing de-identified datasets, documentation, and analysis code in a trusted repository for broad research reuse.