Wayne State University has announced the names of research faculty who will receive funding under a $1.2 million research enhancement program. The goal of the program is to strengthen the university's performance as a nationally recognized leader in research within a targeted interdisciplinary research area. It also is intended to contribute toward developing research themes for the university that are consistent with an emphasis on the urban mission, global presence and technology. The names of five professors who received the awards and a description of their projects are included. They are David Benson, Alan Hudson, Fred Miller, Jayanth Panyam and Yong Xu.