Deaf-led and Deaf-staffed Research Centers

Whether you are considering a PhD, aiming to develop your career in a research center, or planning a visit to a country and want to explore Deaf-led research institutions, this page provides a curated list of Deaf-led and Deaf-staffed research centers worldwide. Use the filters to find centers by country or fields of research interest, and discover opportunities to connect with cutting-edge research and the global Deaf academic community.

Although every effort is made to provide accurate information, errors may occur, or data about centers may change. Please verify directly with the center before making plans or commitments. Last update: 2026-03-17.

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Sign Linguistics & Language Documentation
Education & Pedagogy
Community Empowerment & Advocacy
Science, Technology & Innovation
Health & Wellbeing
Psychology, Cognition & Neuroscience
Deaf Culture & Deaf Studies
Employment, Policy & Data
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Advanced Research Group in Deaf Studies (GRUPES)

Brazil

Federal University of Santa Catarina

Unknown

Education & Pedagogy Deaf Culture & Deaf Studies
Visit
ASL for Second Language Learners Research Lab (ASL2Ed)

United States

Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID)

Unknown

Education & Pedagogy
Visit
Center for Education Advancement of the Deaf (CEAD)

Philippines

De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde

2016

Education & Pedagogy Sign Linguistics
Visit
Center for Research in Sign Language and Vocal Language Interpretation and Translation (NINTER)

Brazil

Federal University of Santa Catarina

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education Advocacy Technology Health Cognition Deaf Studies Policy
Visit
Center for Science & Technology Research (CSTR)

United States

Gallaudet University

Unknown

Science, Technology & Innovation
Visit
Centre for Deaf Studies

Ireland

Trinity College Dublin

2001

Sign Linguistics Deaf Studies
Visit
Centre for Deaf Studies

South Africa

University of the Witwatersrand

~2000s

Education Sign Linguistics
Visit
Centre for Sign Linguistics & Deaf Studies (CSLDS)

Hong Kong

Chinese University of Hong Kong

2003

Sign Linguistics Education
Visit
Centre for the Language Normalization of the Spanish Sign Language (CNLSE)

Spain

Government

2010

Sign Linguistics Education Advocacy
Visit
Center of Deaf Health Excellence

United States

Gallaudet University

Unknown

Health & Wellbeing
Visit
China Sign Language and Deaf Studies Centre

China

Shanghai University

2019

Sign Linguistics Technology
Visit
Corina Cognitive Neurolinguistics Lab

United States

University of California, Davis

Unknown

Psychology, Cognition & Neuroscience
Visit
Cultivating Research and Equity in Sign-related Technology (CREST)

United States

Gallaudet University

2021

Science, Technology & Innovation
Visit
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (DHH-RERC)

United States

Gallaudet University / Partners

2019

Science, Technology & Innovation
Visit
Deaf Health Laboratory (DHL)

United States

Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID)

2016

Health & Wellbeing
Visit
Deaf Research Center (PUPET)

Indonesia

Independent

2014

Sign Linguistics Education
Visit
Deaf Studies Educational Content Development Project

Japan

University of Tsukuba

2009

Sign Linguistics Education Advocacy Technology Deaf Studies Policy
Visit
Deaf Studies Laboratory (DSL)

United States

Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID)

2003

Sign Linguistics Deaf Studies
Visit
Deaf Studies Research Unit (DSRU)

New Zealand

Victoria University of Wellington

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education
Visit
Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL)

United Kingdom

University College London

2006

Sign Linguistics Cognition
Visit
Global Deaf Research Institute (GDRI)

United States

Independent

~2023

Health Advocacy
Visit
Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC)

India

Indira Gandhi National Open University

2011

Sign Linguistics Education Policy
Visit
Institute of German Sign Language and Communication of the Deaf (IDGS)

Germany

University of Hamburg

1987

Sign Linguistics Deaf Studies
Visit
International Institute for Sign Languages & Deaf Studies (iSLanDS)

United Kingdom

University of Central Lancashire

2006

Sign Linguistics Deaf Studies
Visit
Laboratory for Research in Information and Communication Sciences (LISIC)

France

University of Lille Nord de France

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Technology
Visit
Motion Light Lab (ML2)

United States

Gallaudet University

Unknown

Technology Sign Linguistics
Visit
National Center for Deaf Health Research (NCDHR)

United States

University of Rochester

Unknown

Health Advocacy
Visit
National Deaf Center (NDC)

United States

University of Texas at Austin

Unknown

Education Policy
Visit
National Technical Institute for the Deaf – Research Center on Culture and Language (NTID-CCL)

United States

Rochester Institute of Technology

2003

Sign Linguistics Deaf Studies
Visit
National Sign Language Training Center

Japan

Independent (associated with national Deaf organisations)

Unknown

Education Sign Linguistics Advocacy Policy
Visit
Philippine Deaf Resource Center (PDRC)

Philippines

Independent

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education Advocacy
Visit
Psycho-Education & Applied Research Centre for the Deaf (PARD)

Vietnam

Independent

2019

Sign Linguistics Education Advocacy
Visit
Sign Change Research Group

United States

University of Texas at Austin

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Cognition
Visit
Sign Language Acquisition Center (NALS)

Brazil

Federal University of Santa Catarina

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education Cognition Deaf Studies
Visit
Sign Language and Cognition Research Lab (LiSCo)

Brazil

University of São Paulo

2010

Sign Linguistics Education Cognition Health Deaf Studies
Visit
Sign Language Research Center and Promotion of National Sign Language

China

Tianjin University

2023

Sign Linguistics Policy
Visit
Sign Language Section

Sweden

Stockholm University

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education
Visit
Sign Language Study Group (GELIS)

Brazil

Federal University of Bahia

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education Deaf Studies
Visit
Sign Language Research Lab (Georgetown University)

United States

Georgetown University

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Cognition
Visit
Sign Language Research Lab (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

United States

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Cognition
Visit
SIGNS@HWU

United Kingdom

Heriot-Watt University

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Education Advocacy Technology Health Cognition Deaf Studies Policy
Visit
Taiwan Sign Language Research Centre

Taiwan

National Chung Cheng University

2001

Sign Linguistics Education
Visit
Thai Deaf People Foundation / Thai Sign Language Centre

Thailand

Independent

Unknown

Sign Linguistics Advocacy
Visit
XR Accessibility Solutions Laboratory (XR-ASL)

United States

Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID)

Unknown

Science, Technology & Innovation
Visit
 
       

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