How brain mechanisms regulate and are regulated by complex social behaviors across animal species is one of the greatest challenges for neuroscience. This Science and Technology Center for Behavioral Neuroscience brings together a diverse group of behavioral biologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, molecular biologists and engineers from a mix of research-intensive and teaching-oriented institutions in the Atlanta area, including five Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A novel intensive collaboratory approach introduces modern molecular biology into behavioral research with an explicitly comparative aspect. A novel perspective is taken on how brain function, even at the molecular level, may be influenced by particular kinds of social behavior among individuals. Comparing different species offers insights about the conservation of genes and circuits during evolution, and it may transform the way we think about how hormones influence behavior, how genes are regulated, and how brain mechanisms have been adapted for different environmental demands. Six core facilities are formed for technical developments to allow answering scientific questions that previously could not be asked. The research of this center will produce new discoveries, and the integration of research and education for a broad diversity of students will promote a new generation of interdisciplinary neuroscientists. The impact of this Center extends beyond the scientific advances. The infrastructure of this Center creates a new network of research and educational institutions in the Atlanta area to provide a strong local focus, where excellent facilities and researchers from diverse backgrounds also offer outstanding opportunities for underrepresented groups at all educational levels. Taken together, these features make this Center an exceptional investment by NSF for research and education with a high quality and a high impact.
