This Biological Facilities Center proposal requests funds to support the purchase of a distributed, networked-based computer system that will be used to enhance the research efforts of l8 neuroscientists and to provide new opportunities for collaboration among these investigators. The research programs that will use the proposed distributed computer system can be subdivided into three groups: anatomical and physiological investigations on the development of the auditory and visual systems, psychophysical examination of perceptual processes in humans, and the acoustic, physiological, and behavioral examination of speech processes in humans. All the investigators in the three research groups described above have a common interest in understanding basic communication systems in humans. Although their methods vary in detail, relatively few general approaches are represented, and many of the same technical problems are being addressed. Although similar computing needs exist, individuals are meeting these needs with a variety of strategies. The resulting mixture of hardware and software makes substantive interaction difficult. The proposed system, which will put common hardware and software components into each laboratory, will link all the laboratories in a high-speed network. This will significantly enhance substantive collaborative interactions among the investigators by offering, use of identical stimuli and/or stimulus synthesis software, comparative data analysis techniques, and shared data bases.
