Core Grant for Vision Research

描述（由申请人提供）：视觉研究已被确定为在休斯敦得克萨斯大学的投资和发展领域。因此，重要的资源，人员和实验室空间已致力于视觉研究联盟，一个跨部门的教师组。视觉研究联盟目前拥有12个符合条件的NEI赠款另外还有两个NEI U10临床研究奖。在上一个补助金期间，我们招募了9名新教师，其中8名是在去年。两个已经持有NEI赠款和NEI资金的显着增长预计作为其他新的教师建立他们的研究计划。吸引这些新成员的部分原因是Vision Core Grant资助的优秀设施，包括一台新的共聚焦显微镜。视觉研究联盟目前共有31名视觉科学家，分别来自医学院、公共卫生学院和UT医学博士。安德森癌症中心在上一个资助期内，他们一起发表了144篇论文。视觉研究联盟的成员每年获得约420万美元（直接费用）的研究资金。在2002/03年，视觉研究联盟收到了近400万美元的机构支持新的教师和设备。 视觉研究联盟在视觉神经科学，分子遗传学，视觉系统开发，多中心临床试验和临床研究领域具有显着的优势。需要对反映这些兴趣的广度的5个模块提供支持：生物统计模块、成像模块、组织培养模块、计算机软件和硬件支持模块以及基因微阵列模块。这些将提供研究机会不提供给个别教师。核心支持将鼓励跨部门合作，特别是基础和临床科学家之间的合作，并支持试点项目，导致新的研究计划。随着视觉核心补助金的持续支持，一个增长和创新研究的进一步时期，预计为视觉研究联盟。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vision Research has been identified as an area for investment and development at the University of Texas in Houston. Thus, significant resources, personnel and laboratory space have been committed to the Vision Research Consortium, a faculty group which crosses departmental lines. The Vision Research Consortium currently holds 12 qualifying NEI grants with two additional NEI U10 awards for clinical research. In the last grant period, we recruited 9 new faculty members, 8 in the last year. Two already hold NEI grants and significant growth in NEI funding is anticipated as the other new faculty members establish their research programs. These new recruits were attracted, in part, by the outstanding facilities supported by the Vision Core Grant, including a new confocal microscope. In total, the Vision Research Consortium now consists of 31 vision scientists from the Medical School, the School of Public Health and the UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Together, they published 144 papers in the last grant period. The members of the Vision Research Consortium receive approximately $4.2 million (direct costs) of research funds annually. In 2002/03, the Vision Research Consortium received almost $4 million of institutional support for new faculty and equipment. The Vision Research Consortium has significant strength in the areas of Visual Neuroscience, Molecular Genetics, Visual System Development, Multi-Center Clinical Trials and Clinical Research. Support is requested for 5 modules which reflect the breadth of these interests: a Biostatistics Module, an Imaging Module, a Tissue Culture Module, a Computer Software and Hardware Support Module and a Gene Microarray Module. These will provide research opportunities not available to individual faculty members. Core support will encourage interdepartmental collaboration, especially between basic and clinical scientists, and support pilot projects leading to new research programs. With the continued support of the Vision Core Grant, a further period of growth and innovative research is expected for the Vision Research Consortium.