Projects on a variety of domestic and overseas topics that will enhance geographical theory and its applications qualify for support. Physical Anthropology supports basic research in areas that relate to human evolution and contemporary human variation. Research areas supported by the program include, but are not limited to, human genetic variation, human adaptation, human osteology, human paleontology, primate functional anatomy, and primate behavior. Child Learning and Development supports research on cognitive, social, and biological processes related to children's and adolescents' learning in formal and informal settings. Human Cognition and Perception supports research on human perceptual and cognitive processes, including the development of these processes.
Emphasis is on research strongly grounded in theory.
Research topics include vision, audition, haptic perception, attention, object recognition, language processing, spatial representation, motor control, memory, reasoning, and concept formation. The program encompasses a wide range of theoretical perspectives such as experimental computation, connectionism, and ecological perception, and a variety of methodologies such as experimental studies and computational modeling. Research involving acquired or developmental deficits is appropriate if the results speak to basic issues in the study of normal perception or cognition. Linguistics supports scientific research of all types that focuses on natural human language as an object of investigation. Social Psychology supports research on human and social behavior, including cultural influences and development over the lifespan.