Title: Spectroscopy and Collision Dynamics of Highly Vibrationally Excited Polyatomic Molecules This is a Minority Research Initiation (MRI) planning grant to examine a new technique to probe the collision dynamics of highly vibrationally excited polyatomic molecules. This will be done by combining vibrational excitation knowledge with time resolved spectroscopic methods. The study of other reactions between radiation and matter may result. The planning period will allow the identification of appropriate experimental techniques and instrumentation needs that will enable the proposer to establish a spectroscopy laboratory. This grant will provide support for a well-trained minority chemist to prepare a competitive proposal for submittal to the MRI research initiation component.