NSF Org:	OISE Office of International Science and Engineering
Recipient:	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
Initial Amendment Date:	June 26, 2024
Latest Amendment Date:	June 26, 2024
Award Number:	2412731
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Kara C. Hoover kchoover@nsf.gov  (703)292-2235 OISE  Office of International Science and Engineering O/D  Office Of The Director
Start Date:	September 1, 2024
End Date:	August 31, 2028 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$1,312,948.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$1,312,948.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2024 = $1,312,948.00
History of Investigator:	Jose Contreras-Vidal (Principal Investigator) jlcontreras-vidal@uh.edu Ioannis Pavlidis (Co-Principal Investigator) Julene Johnson (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of Houston 4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD HOUSTON TX  US  77204-3067 (713)743-5773
Sponsor Congressional District:	18
Primary Place of Performance:	University of Houston 4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD HOUSTON TX  US  77204-3067
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	18
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	QKWEF8XLMTT3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	AccelNet - Accelerating Resear, Sci of Lrng & Augmented Intel
Primary Program Source:	01002425DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):	059Z
Program Element Code(s):	069Y00, 127Y00
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.075, 47.079

ABSTRACT

In all human cultures, music and dance serve to express our inner thoughts and feelings, as well as heal, console, and bond with each other, and outwardly to entertain and express our cultural identities. Scientifically, music and dance offer an exquisite window to study the neural basis of social interaction, communication and creativity and their impact on brain health. To harness the power of dance and music, this project will create a global network (The Movement, Music and BrainHealth AccelNet) comprised of industry-university cooperative research centers for Building Reliable Advances and Innovations in Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) and for Accelerated Real Time Analytics (CARTA), the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, the NEUROLIVE project at University College London, and the European EBRAINS network. The goal is to accelerate rigorous, convergent, mechanistic and translational research of coupled brain activity, expressive movement and music catalyzed by artificial intelligence (AI), brain-computer interfacing (BCI), mobile brain-body imaging technology, and computational methods. The Movement, Music and Brain AccelNet will identify and accelerate new convergent research that aims to understand the mechanisms and develop applications, by which practicing music and dance affects brain function, creativity, and promotes health and well-being across the lifespan. A global transdisciplinary workforce development and mentoring program, annual workshops, and professional art-science performances will foster collaboration between the humanities, AI, science and engineering, educate future leaders and innovators, engage the public in research, and promote team science based on diverse cultural traditions.

The Movement, Music and BrainHealth AccelNet will assay, analyze, model and interpret coupled (synchronized) brain activity, movement, dance, sound, music and video from multiple sensors. Findings from this AccelNet will transform our understanding of the creative brain in action, and lead to sustained impact in cognitive, neural and rehabilitation engineering, passive and active BCIs, music and dance in medicine, and new context-aware BCI technologies that can infer collective behavioral intent and emotional states. By the end of its implementation phase, this AccelNet will operate across cultural, disciplinary, organizational, geographical and international boundaries that broaden participation and promote innovation. The deliverables will be open-access and engage the global community and industry partners for ensuring fast translation and dissemination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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