Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

This proposal details our request for funds necessary to purchase several critical pieces of equipment that, together, form an integrated stimulus presentation and data collection system integral to human functional neuroimaging studies at Queen's University. This system will support the research programs of multiple faculty members, from early career investigators to well-established, tenured faculty, including: Anita Tusche (Asst. Prof. Psychology/Economics), Jason Gallivan (Asst. Prof. Psychology/Biomedical and Molecular Sciences), Jeffrey Wammes (Asst. Prof. Psychology), Monica Castelhano (Assoc. Prof. Psychology) and Randy Flanagan (Prof. Psychology).******The requested equipment includes the following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-related devices, critical to the success of each of our neuroimaging research programs: (1) A high-end video projection system, necessary for delivering high fidelity visual stimuli to participants, (2) An eye tracking system, required for training, monitoring and recording participants' gaze behaviour, and (3) Force sensors, used for recording participants' behavioural responses. These requested devices will either replace equipment that is technologically obsolete and faulty (the video projector and force sensors), or currently being borrowed from a faculty member (eye tracker). Each of these devices were being used by multiple HQP in our labs (including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and programmers) and is critical to the success of both ongoing and future NSERC-funded research projects. Therefore, failures to update and/or replace these devices in a timely fashion will seriously jeopardize a number of ongoing, and successful, research programs, hamper the launching of several exciting new research programs, and negatively impact the training of many current and future HQP.*****