The vision of CATSS is to harness the University of Minnesota's world-leading scientific expertise in sensory science to address the challenges faced by millions of people with sensory loss, such as low vision or hearing loss. Sensory loss can isolate people from their social and physical environments and, in an aging population, poses an increasingly important challenge to individual and societal health and wellbeing.

Our vision is achieved through connections: Between scientists, engineers, and clinicians in interdisciplinary teams; between University researchers and partners in the medical devices industry; and between the University and the community, here in Minnesota and with the community of people with hearing and/or vision loss around the world.

To ensure its long-term success, CATSS partners with industry, government, and foundations to support its ongoing mission through outreach activities, education and training, clinical screening services, and applied and translational research projects that lead to tangible improvements in access to everyday activities by people with sensory loss.

• Promote and facilitate interdisciplinary applied and translational research in sensory science.
• Provide leadership in doctoral and post-doctoral training.
• Engage with the community to address real-world challenges encountered by people with sensory loss.
• Partner with the medical-device industry to generate new solutions.

• Obtain and administer Federally funded interdisciplinary training grants for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students.
• Facilitate internships for students medical industry or clinical research settings.
• Provide undergraduate and graduate research opportunities to work on scientific problems with direct real-world applications.
• Provide seed funding for students and faculty with translational ideas to develop pilot projects.
• Generate interdisciplinary research ideas, leading to grant submissions in cross-over areas such as adaptive technology and prosthetics.
• Provide support for shared research facilities on and off campus.
• Offer centralized support for participant recruitment, database management, and IRB compliance.
• Organize interdisciplinary research seminars and colloquia.
• Create thematic workshops in crossover areas of joint interest such as assistive technology, neuroimaging, sensory prosthetics, sensory adaptation, developmentally sensitive periods and aging.
• Engage with local and global communities to disseminate advice and research outcomes relevant to sensory disabilities.