CENTER FOR VISUAL AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE: ADMINISTRATIVE CORE

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 A. COBRE具体目标 具体目标1：为COBRE项目主任开发成功的，独立的，自我维持的研究项目，这将使未来成功获得R 01资金。 这一目标正在通过向四个主要项目提供COBRE支持和建立试点项目机制来实现，以激发对视觉和认知神经科学的兴趣并招募更多人才。这些研究活动是由PI/PD，两名成员组成的内部咨询委员会，三名成员的外部咨询委员会和五名担任主要项目导师的世界级科学家组成的行政核心培育和维持的。四个主要项目中有三个进展顺利。第四个项目（Teder）的项目总监已经从NDSU辞职，我们描述了将该项目重新分配给另一名CVCN教员（Blakeslee）的计划。CVCN的支持使小学和试点项目主任在过去的一年中免于一些教学义务，这些研究人员利用这个机会在实验室与研究生和本科生以及CVCN专业人员一起工作，以推进他们的研究计划。父母补助金的几项补充使更多的研究取得了进展。外部咨询委员会对CVCN活动的审查表明，我们正在取得令人满意的进展。 具体目标2：通过发展多用户核心实验室设施，加强NDSU的生物行为研究基础设施。 我们通过继续开发和支持六个多用户核心实验室设施来实现这一目标：1）高密度EEG核心设施; 2）高动态范围成像核心设施; 3）沉浸式虚拟现实核心设施; 4）驾驶模拟核心设施; 5）眼动跟踪核心设施;和6）电光仪器核心设施。CVCN的教师和学生利用这些设施来测量神经系统的结构和功能及其所支配的行为之间的关系。核心设施的用户得到COBREC支助的技术专业人员的协助。 具体目标3：通过招募具有视觉或认知神经科学研究专长的新教师，扩大NDSU在视觉和认知神经科学方面的研究能力。 在COBRE I中，我们通过创建两个新的专用教师队伍（最初由Rainville博士和Teder博士填补（注：Rainville博士从1/11开始由Ben Balas博士取代，Teder博士最近辞职）来实现这一目标。我们最近成功地招募了一名新的CVCN教师，劳拉托马斯博士（伊利诺伊大学香槟分校博士学位;在范德比尔特大学博士后培训）。托马斯博士将于8月11日加入CVCN，并将增加我们的研究人才的临界质量，以帮助维持CVCN超过最初几年的COBRE支持。明年，我们将在全国范围内寻找另外两名教员：一名接替特德博士，另一名接替克里斯·凯兰弗里森博士，他没有获得终身教职，已经离开了国防大学。在全力NDSU CVCN有11视觉/认知学院神经科学家，2-3博士后研究助理，大约12名研究生的补充。 具体目标4：在北达科他州州立大学建立一个全国公认的视觉和认知神经科学中心。 具体目标1-3的实现将在NDSU创建一个卓越的研究中心，这将吸引更多具有独立研究支持潜力的优质教师，以及致力于视觉和认知神经科学及时和重要研究的博士后研究助理，研究生和本科生。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. A. COBRE Specific Aims Specific Aim 1: To develop successful, independent, self-sustaining research projects for COBRE Project Directors which will enable future success in obtaining R01 funding. This aim is being accomplished by providing COBRE support to four Primary Projects and by establishing a Pilot Project Mechanism to stimulate interest in and recruit additional talent in visual and cognitive neuroscience. These research activities are nurtured and sustained by an Administrative Core consisting of the PI/PD, a two-member Internal Advisory Committee, a three-member External Advisory Committee, and five world-class scientists who serve as Primary Project Mentors. Three of the four Primary Projects are progressing nicely. The Project Director of the fourth project (Teder) has resigned from NDSU and we describe plans to reassign this project to another CVCN faculty member (Blakeslee). CVCN support has allowed Primary and Pilot Project Directors freedom from some teaching obligations during the past year, and these investigators have taken advantage of this opportunity to spend additional time in their laboratories working with graduate and undergraduate students, and with CVCN professional staff, to advance their research programs. Several supplements to the parent grant have allowed additional research progress to occur. The External Advisory Committee review of CVCN activities indicates we are making satisfactory progress. Specific Aim 2: To enhance the biobehavioral research infrastructure at NDSU through the development of multi-user CORE laboratory facilities. We are accomplishing this aim by continuing to develop and support six multiuser Core laboratory facilities: 1) High-Density EEG Core Facility; 2) High Dynamic Range Imaging Core Facility; 3) Immersive Virtual Reality Core Facility; 4) Driving Simulation Core Facility; 5) Eyetracking Core Facility; and 6) ElectroOptical Instrumentation Core Facility. CVCN faculty and students utilize these facilities to measure relationships between the structure and function of the nervous system and the behavior it governs. Users of the Core facilities are assisted by COBRE-supported technical professional staff. Specific Aim 3: To expand NDSU's research capability in visual and cognitive neuroscience by recruiting new faculty with research expertise in visual or cognitive neuroscience. In COBRE I we accomplished this aim by creating two new appropriated faculty lines (originally filled by Drs. Rainville and Teder (Note: Dr. Rainville was replaced by Dr. Ben Balas beginning 1/11, and Dr. Teder has recently resigned). We recently successfully recruited a new CVCN faculty member, Dr. Laura Thomas (doctorate from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University). Dr. Thomas will join the CVCN beginning 8/11, and will augment our critical mass of research talent to help sustain the CVCN beyond the initial years of COBRE support. Next year we will initiate national searches for two additional faculty: one to replace Dr. Teder, and another to replace Dr. Chris Kelland Friesen, who was not granted tenure and has left NDSU. At full strength the NDSU CVCN has a complement of 11 visual/cognitive faculty neuroscientists, 2-3 Postdoctoral Research Associates, and approximately 12 graduate students. Specific Aim 4: To establish a nationally recognized Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience at North Dakota State University. The realization of Specific Aims 1-3 will create a center of research excellence at NDSU which will attract additional quality faculty with a strong potential for independent research support, as well as postdoctoral research associates, graduate students, and undergraduates committed to timely and important research in visual and cognitive neuroscience.