The Seed-Funding (SFI) and Research Enhancement (REI) initiatives are one-year pilot programs launched this academic year. SFI encourages faculty to develop exploratory research projects that may develop into endeavors that could attract significant extramural support; REI assists tenured faculty who want to stay abreast of the latest developments in their area of interest, or for new research in areas that are substantially different from their current line of research.

Hans Schollhammer, chair of the Council on Research, announced the winners, selected from 138 submissions, June 5. The Senate hosted a reception in their honor.

The winners are:
* Jesse Byock -- Germanic language,"Viking Age Archeology: The Cutting Edge;"

*Antonio De Salles -- neurosurgery-medicine, "Electrical Stimulation of the Medial Hypothalamus for the Regulation of Food Intake in Morbid Obesity;"

* Lynn Gordon -- ophthalmology-medicine, "B1 Crystallin, Studies of New Candidate Antigenic Target in Uveitis;"

* Kris Gutierrez -- education, "The Effects of Proposition 227: Studying Effective Biliteracy Program."

Other winners included:

* Susanna Hecht -- urban planning, "Environmental: Governance and Natural Resources in El Salvador;"

* David Krantz -- psychiatry-medicine, "Regulation of Neurotransmitter Release in Drosophila;"

*Naomi R. Lamoreaux and Jean-Laurent Rosenthal -- economics, "Organizational Choice and Economic Development;"

* Beth Lazazzera -- microbiology and immunology "Identification of Genes Differentially Expressed During Biofilm Development in Bacillus subtilis;"

* Jia-Ming Liu -- electrical engineering, "Nonlinear Optical Microscopy."

Also awarded grants were:

* Sabeeha Merchant -- chemistry and biochemistry, "Molecular Genetic Dissection of Chloroplast Fe Metabolism;"

* Aamir Mufti -- comparative literature, "Marginalia: Minority Cultures in Europe in the 20th Century;"

* Daniel Neuhauser -- chemistry and biochemistry, "A Genetic Network Model of the HIV Life Cycle;"

* Randall Peerenboom -- law, "Judicial Independence and Judicial Accountability: Collaborative Empirical Study;"

* Virender K. Rehan -- pediatrics-Harbor REI, "Antenatal Dihydroxychole- calciferol (Vitamin D3) Administration to Enhance Fetal Pulmonary Maturation;"

* Stefano Soatto -- computer science, "Minimally Invasive Optical 3D Shape Sensors;"

* Aaron Tornell -- economics, "Robust Approach to Macroeconomics and Finance;"

* Stephanie White -- physiological science, "Neural Mechanism for Social Learning;"

* Benjamin Wu -- material sciences and engineering, "The Role of Mechanical Forces on Bioengineering of Anterior Cruciate Ligament."