Summary:
The University of Oldenburg’s Hearing4all research initiative has secured major federal funding as a Cluster of Excellence in Germany, enabling seven more years of pioneering work in hearing loss diagnosis, treatment, and technology development.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Third-Time Success: Hearing4all, a collaboration between Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School, and Leibniz University Hannover, has secured its third round of funding, totaling €53.5 million, to advance hearing research using genetics, AI, and real-world studies.
- Broader Excellence Recognition: All three of Oldenburg’s proposed research clusters—including Hearing4all, NaviSense, and Ocean Floor—have received funding, positioning the university to apply for University of Excellence status in 2027.
- Holistic Hearing Approach: Hearing4all.connects will expand research to include multilingualism, social hearing dynamics, and smart hearing aid systems, aiming to restore natural hearing and support full social participation.
With federal funding for research being cut in the United States, it’s great to hear that the University of Oldenburg, Germany has secured major funding for hearing research. All three of the university’s top-level research projects that submitted proposals to be Clusters of Excellence in the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments, including the Hearing4all Cluster, have been approved and will receive funding for seven years.
This is already the third time the hearing researchers of the Hearing4all Cluster have succeeded with their application. The total requested funding amount was 53.5 million euros. The Oldenburg team had once again joined forces with hearing researchers from Hannover to compile their application.
The NaviSense initiative led by the Oldenburg experts in animal navigation research will receive funding as a Cluster of Excellence for the first time, after applying for a total of 54.7 million euros. And in the field of marine research, the University of Oldenburg can also celebrate after jointly applying with the University of Bremen and receiving approval for a total of 54.2 million euros in funding for the Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence.
“As a young university, we are especially proud to see that all the Clusters of Excellence we applied for were able to convince the international reviewers. This proves once again that top-level research is conducted at the University of Oldenburg,” said University President Prof. Dr Ralph Bruder. “Our scientists are achieving outstanding research results and will now continue their work in research fields with high social relevance under excellent conditions.”
University of Excellence Pathway
This successful performance in the Cluster of Excellence funding line also paves the way for the University of Oldenburg to receive funding as a University of Excellence from 2027 onward. The Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen have decided to apply jointly as partners for this funding line.
“Our two universities have a tradition of close collaboration and have set themselves the goal of further boosting their impact and appeal at the national and international level. We are now underscoring this mission by submitting a joint application for the University of Excellence funding line, and thus forging ahead with our ambitious plans in a targeted manner,” University President Bruder explained. As recently as the beginning of this year, the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen founded the Northwest Alliance, a joint research and transfer center in Germany’s northwest region.
Hearing4all Research Goals
The Cluster aims to improve the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss. Hearing4all (H4a) has already achieved significant results over the course of two previous funding periods since 2012. Now, under the new guiding theme Hearing4all.connects, the research alliance encompassing the University of Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School, and Leibniz University Hannover will expand to include additional disciplines, enabling an even more comprehensive investigation of hearing loss. In the coming years, researchers will pursue new genetic approaches to predicting, diagnosing, and treating hearing loss. They will also explore how artificial intelligence can enable hearing aids and cochlear implants to distinguish more effectively between important and irrelevant sound sources.
Another key area of research involves the development of shared data standards. These standards will enable the training of AI-based systems that can predict an individual’s probability of hearing loss. Researchers also aim to transform hearing aids into comprehensive hearing health systems, using sensor data collected at the ear to provide long-term health data and early indicators for declining health.
Hearing4all also seeks to better understand the real-life challenges people with hearing loss face. Researchers will investigate the role of multilingualism in hearing, conduct studies outside the lab in real-world environments, and explore the importance of hearing in social interactions. Close collaboration with non-university partners remains a central component of the cluster’s work, supporting the rapid transfer of research findings into practical applications.
“Over the past 13 years, the three participating universities and external partners have built a unique ecosystem for hearing research,” says Hearing Research Cluster spokesperson Prof. Dr Christiane Thiel. “This now enables us to apply new technologies—in areas such as genetics or AI—to achieve hearing restoration that comes as close as possible to natural hearing and empowers those affected to fully participate in diverse communication settings. Together with our outstanding team, I’m excited to initiate a new era of hearing health research, one that addresses hearing holistically: from ear, to brain, to society.”
Featured image: Dreamstime
