# PREFACE

The Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience supports research aimed at understanding the living organism -- plant, animal, microbe -- as a unit of biological organization. Such research encompasses:

- the mechanisms by which plants and animals develop, grow, reproduce, regulate their physiological activity, and respond to their environment;
- the integration of molecular, subcellular, and cellular approaches to understand the development, functioning, and behavior of organisms in both laboratory and natural settings;
- all aspects of the nervous system, including its structure, function, development and integration with the physiological and behavioral systems impacted by it;
- factors influencing the behavior of animals in the laboratory and field;
- whole-organism approaches to physiological ecology; and,
- the form and function of organisms in view of their evolution and environmental interactions.

Synthetic and analytic approaches that address this integration often require advanced computational techniques and interdisciplinary perspectives involving other areas of biology, behavioral science, physical science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science. In addition, the development and use of a wide diversity of organisms as biological models is encouraged to assist both in identifying unifying principles common to all organisms and in documenting the variety of mechanisms that have evolved in specific organisms. Current scientific emphases include biotechnology, biomolecular materials, environmental biology, global change, biodiversity, molecular evolution, plant science, microbial biology, and computational biology (including modeling). Research projects generally include support for the education and training of future scientists.

IBN also supports (1) doctoral dissertation research (2) research conferences, workshops, and symposia; and (3) a variety of NSF-wide activities.

The purpose of this Summary of Awards for the Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience is to provide the scientific and engineering communities with information about the awards made in Fiscal Year 1996. This report lists only those projects funded using Fiscal year 1996 dollars and hence does not list multi-year awards initiated prior to Fiscal year 1996.

Similar areas of research are grouped together for reader convenience. The reader is cautioned, however, not to assume that these categories represent the totality of interests of each program, or the total scope of each grant. Projects may bridge several programs or deal with topics not explicitly mentioned herein. Thus, these categories have been assigned administratively and for the purpose of this report only.

In this document, grantee institutions and principal investigators are identified first. Award identification numbers, amounts, and durations are enumerated after the individual project titles. Within each category, the awards are listed alphabetically by state and institution. This report was compiled from Foundation records. However, the data included here are unofficial. The Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience is responsible for the information cited in this document.

Readers wishing further information on any particular project described in this report are advised to contact the principal investigators directly.