Project Grant 2429781

This $277,817 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Integrative Activities (IA) program will provide a research fellowship to a faculty member and training for a graduate student at Oklahoma State University (OSU). The project aims to investigate how the gut microbiome contributes to body size variation and the ability of organisms, specifically house sparrows, to adapt to environmental changes caused by climate change. The research will integrate multiple data types to explore the novel concept of "microbially mediated plasticity" as a mechanism that may allow rapid adaptation to human-induced environmental changes. The project will also engage undergraduate students, advance women in science, and leverage the research findings to improve an undergraduate physiology course. This award reflects NSF's mission to enhance the nation's research competitiveness and build critical STEM infrastructure.