STEMM-HEAR focuses on supporting outstanding interns who have 1) a personal interest in or experience with communication disorders and are doing STEM or pre-med studies, and 2) the capacity to participate alongside students with typical hearing in research laboratories in auditory sciences.

Funding from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide stipends to eight college students to participate in summer research internships in auditory sciences laboratories at affiliated universities. Interns must have completed their sophomore, or junior year of college by June 2025, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and be majoring in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) or a pre-med major.  

Our goal is to encourage STEMM-HEAR interns to persevere in their studies, leading to careers in STEMM fields and academia. STEMM-HEAR ensures that each intern has a mentor who has personal experience with communication disorders or is trained in working with students with communication disorders who will support and guide the student throughout the internship.