This award from the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology supports a research project at Purdue University to investigate the genetic basis of how organisms adapt to their environment, including the role of non-additive genetic effects. The $198,915 Project Grant, awarded on September 15, 2023, will fund research using a unique set of genetic resources to quantify the contribution of non-additive effects on survival and seed production in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. The project aims to determine the genetic basis of heterosis (hybrid vigor), the role of epistasis in adaptive differentiation, and the extent to which antagonistic loci contribute to transgressive segregation in crosses between locally-adapted populations. Outreach activities on adaptation and climate change will also be conducted with K-12 students. This research aligns with the NSF's Biological Sciences program mission to promote scientific progress and enhance understanding of major national challenges.