This proposal presents a plan to provide ongoing and stable funding for three high-quality and productive vision-research service Modules: Instrument Design, Research Computer Programming, and Biostatistics. These Modules are run by three exceptionally talented principles who have from 3 to 10 years of experience in our Core Center for Vision Research. These Modules provide needed research services to a present group of 22 Core Center vision scientists from 5 departments of the University of Houston (Biochemistry, Biology, Biophysical Sciences, Electrical Engineering, and Optometry). These Core vision scientists have diverse training and research interests; they collaborate effectively with each other, as well as with some 85 other vision researchers at this University and at other institutions. Together, our 22 Core Center investigators receive direct research funding of about $2.6 million annually. An additional $1.2 million is provided annually by the College in support of their vision research. During the past 5 years of P30 funding at this University, the Core Center has created an unusually favorable vision-research environment that has directly contributed to 125 published papers and culminated in the recruitment of 11 new vision investigators, 7 of whom currently have NIH funding, including 3 who have NEI funding. These accomplishments reflect our Core Center's previous and current aims that focus on: stable funding, quality research services, collaborative research, innovative research, new vision researchers, and pilot projects converting into NIH and NEI support. Especially emphasized in the coming 5 years will be innovate research (such as functional magnetic resonance imaging) and recruitment of vision researchers to fill our current 3 open positions, as well as other positions in the future. Our vision researchers and Module principals are a finely tuned team.
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