A Getting-Started Grant [GSG] for Pilot Projects on Infant Hearing Screening
Although the World Health Assembly in 1995 passed the WHA 48.9 Resolution on the Prevention of Hearing Impairment urging member states to “prepare national plans for the prevention and control of major causes of avoidable hearing loss, and for early detection in babies, toddlers and children, as well as in the elderly, within the framework of primary health care”, it was silent on the modalities for achieving the goal of early hearing detection in “babies, toddlers and children”. While infant hearing screening with oto-acoustic emissions and/or automated auditory brainstem response tests in hospitals and/or community health centres have now emerged as effective strategies for early hearing detection, individual countries have to decide on which options are most appropriate for their target populations. Such decisions are best derived from local pilot projects. However, most governments in developing countries are likely to depend on privately-initiated pilot projects before making any move for a non-fatal condition such as permanent childhood hearing impairment which is not a priority for most donor agencies.
A major challenge to indigenous researchers for starting pilot projects on infant hearing screening is funding. This often entails substantial administrative and logistical efforts in organising and prospecting for project grants. In other words, the process of seeking possible sponsors in itself has financial implications which may deter fund-raising initiatives in many developing countries. Consequently, the focus of our research grant is to support this process of fund-raising by providing “seed money” to meet related operational/administrative expenses. The maximum amount that can be granted to any single applicant is currently US$1,000.00.
The organisation is privately funded and currently headed by the National Coordinator, Dr. Bola Olusanya. A board of trustees comprising accomplished corporate executives and parents of hearing-impaired children maintains an oversight on its operations.
Prospective applicants must submit a preliminary concept paper (not more than two pages) describing how they intend to raise funds for an infant screening project in their country and how this GSG grant will assist in this process. Applicants whose projects stand a good chance of being supported after a review by our panel of experts will be invited to submit a more detailed application and provide two referees, one of whom must have a supervisory oversight on the proposed project.
Concept papers can be e-mailed to the Grant Administrator at soundstart@aol.com throughout the year. Applications will be reviewed in March, June and September every year.