NAL - Finding new ways to help people with hearing problems.

Our impact

Strong evidence-based research and innovation powers NAL’s mission to transform the lives of those with hearing difficulty

Projects

Commenced in the past 3 years to address unmet needs in the community

View projects

Years

We have partnered with the government to provide hearing research recommendations

Work with us

100 +

Countries

Where NAL's hearing tools are used to improve the lives of those with hearing difficulties

Our unique approach

Commercial products

Taken to market in the last 5 years

Products

200 +

Papers

Published in peer reviewed journals over the past 3 years

Our publications

Current research priorities

Innovative Tools for Clinical Hearing Care

We will develop clinical tools that will be adopted into audiological practice and will provide improved approaches to diagnostic assessments, device fittings, and outcome measures, all areas of hearing healthcare that have remained largely unchanged for over 50 years.

Real‑world Evidence for Clinical Insight

We will use real-world and simulated real-world experiences to generate insights and tools that enhance decision-making, personalise care, and improve outcomes for people with hearing difficulties.

Improved Outcomes for Childhood Otitis Media

We will develop tools and identify approaches to strengthen audiological monitoring and management of otitis media–related hearing loss in children, including Aboriginal children and communities, to reduce its impact on developmental outcomes.

Novel Technologies for Hearing Difficulties

We will develop evidence on the benefits and use of emerging hearing technologies, including who will most benefit and in which situations, to become the trusted authority on innovation in the rapidly changing hearing device landscape.

Our research

Multi-disciplinary

NAL brings together leading researchers and scientists from around the world. With expertise across traditional and cutting-edge research methods, tools, software and hardware, our team works together to deliver best practice, evidence-based research.

AI applications in hearing health

Applying machine learning to enhance hearing health technology

Connected hearing health

Developing insights into telehealth use and creating solutions for clinicians and patients

Electrophysiology

Research and development of diagnostic tools to understand the underlying hearing mechanisms in normal and abnormal auditory systems

Acoustics and psychoacoustics

Investigating auditory function and mechanisms for the remediation of hearing deficits

Breadth of study designs

Expertise in conducting a variety of research approaches, including longitudinal studies and formal clinical trials

Design thinking

Applying contemporary innovation methodologies with a focus on unmet needs and impact delivery

Hearing technologies

Evaluating existing and emerging hearing technologies to understand the real-world impact in everyday listening conditions.

Featured researchers

NAL attracts world-class talent to work together to conduct research that informs clinical practice, produces innovation in hearing healthcare, and provides data-led insights into hearing loss and hearing loss treatment.

Announcements & Partnership

NAL Annual Impact Report 2025

Every year at NAL is a year of impact – it’s part of our mission to provide evidence-based research and innovation to improve hearing health and transform the lives of people with hearing difficulties. Read all about the impact generated by NAL in 2025 in our latest issue.

Announcements & Partnership

NAL and EssilorLuxottica’s Nuance Audio publish peer-reviewed clinical trial on Nuance Audio Glasses

Peer-reviewed clinical trial confirms Nuance Audio Glasses improve speech understanding in noise and are preferred by users with mild-to-moderate hearing difficulties.

Project Outcomes

Aligning HSP subsidised hearing devices with today’s technology

NAL has completed a review of the minimum specifications for subsidised hearing devices under the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program (HSP), which funds over A$600 million in services and devices for people with hearing loss.

Announcements & Partnership

NAL-NL3 Now Available in MedRx Verification and Test Systems

The NAL-NL3 fitting system is now integrated into MedRx Studio Software v1.3.2, providing hearing care professionals with earlier access to NAL’s next-generation, evidence-based fitting system.

Announcements & Partnership

NALscribe AR: Spatially Positioned Live Captions for Clear Communication with Apple Vision Pro

Individuals with hearing loss often struggle to understand speech, particularly in group conversations or noisy environments. This can lead to isolation, withdrawal from social activities,

Announcements & Partnership

NAL | ESIA Partnership Announcement

An innovative new partnership between Ear Science Institute Australia and National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) brings together hearing researchers from across Australia with the shared goal

Announcements & Partnership

NAL Annual Impact Report 2024

Read about the impact generated by NAL in 2024 in our latest issue

Announcements & Partnership

NAL awarded HCF grant to deliver language agnostic AI powered hearing care solution

NAL has received an HCF Research Foundation Translational Research Grant to bring ULIPlus, our AI-powered, language-agnostic speech test, into clinical practice.

Announcements & Partnership

NAL Annual Impact Report 2023

National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) has released its Annual Impact report 2023. This year’s report features the latest research outcomes on perceived mild to moderate hearing

Announcements & Partnership

AuracastTM – a first for hearing aids

National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) has hosted an exclusive live listening demonstration for a new BluetoothR broadcast audio solution called AuracastTM.

Webinar/Events

Empowering Hearing Aid Users: It’s Not The Technology But What People Do With Technology

Soundbites – bite-sized 15-minute interactive webinars presented by leading researchers at NAL