Project Grant 2536871
- This collaborative research project, funded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Emerging Frontiers under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), addresses phonological interference in adult language learning by examining parallel sound-learning mechanisms in songbirds and humans. The project, awarded to the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) at Hunter College on May 1, 2026, with total obligated funding of $174,073.00, investigates why...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary The Research Foundation of The City University of New York received a $163,396 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), administered through the Division of Emerging Frontiers, with an award date of May 1, 2026, and a completion date of April 30, 2029. This collaborative research project investigates how songbirds and adult humans learn new sounds, with particular focus on overcoming phonological...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (CFDA 47.074 - Biological Sciences) to Cornell University totals $421,321 and runs from January 15, 2024 to December 31, 2026. The grant funds research to investigate the function of acoustic fine structure (AFS) in natural zebra finch communication, with the goal of better understanding the perceptual abilities and communicative behaviors of birds compared to humans. Key research activities include: (1) determining whether perception...
- This two-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Integrative Organismal Systems provides $138,000 in funding to define the role of the ZEB2 gene in the development of convergent neural circuitry for vocal imitation in birds. The award period runs from September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2023. The research is part of the NSF's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), which promotes progress in the biological sciences through basic research that increases...
- This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences provides $124,539 to support research examining the links between perception and production of second language speech sounds over time. Funded under the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences program (CFDA 47.075), the two-year award to the University of Texas at Austin will lay the foundation for developing a comprehensive model of second language sound learning. Researchers will train...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports fundamental research to explore the cultural evolution and development of bird songs. The $352,744 award, with a project period from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027, will be conducted by the President & Trustees of Williams College. The key objectives of the research are to: 1) understand the tradeoffs between the effectiveness of a song in attracting mates and the...
- The National Science Foundation awarded a $138,000 Project Grant to support research under the Biological Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.074) from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023. The grant funds postdoctoral research examining the neural integration of acoustic signals across reproductive states in female birds. Consistent with the program's goal of advancing the biological sciences, this award will enhance understanding of how the brain processes sounds differently during breeding...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences program (CFDA 47.075) provides $132,291 to the University of Chicago to conduct a longitudinal study examining the relationship between sound perception and sound production in second language learning. The goal is to better understand how these skills develop over time and interact, which will help inform more effective pronunciation training methods for language learners. The study will...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $887,831 Project Grant under its STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. The grant, awarded on September 1, 2023, will fund a collaborative research effort to study the neurological factors underlying individual variability in auditory learning and second-language acquisition. The research will integrate attention monitoring via pupil dilation and neuromodulation through vagus nerve stimulation to...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (CFDA 47.075) program provides $619,951 to the University of Rochester to study how the human brain encodes and processes the perception of song. The project leverages advanced experimental methods, including functional MRI and intracranial recordings from neurosurgical patients, to better understand the neural mechanisms underlying song perception. The research aims to differentiate...
This collaborative research project, funded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Emerging Frontiers under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), investigates how songbirds and humans learn new sounds and overcome phonological interference—the tendency for first-language (L1) sounds to interfere with second-language (L2) acquisition. The $389,498 Project Grant, awarded May 1, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2029, combines experimental research on zebra finch second-song learning with second-language learning studies in adult humans. The research products will include scientific data, methodologies, and findings that advance understanding of vocal communication system evolution across species and provide evidence-based strategies to improve adult language learning outcomes. The grant also delivers educational and training outputs through high school and undergraduate student involvement in interdisciplinary birdsong and speech learning experiments, contributing to workforce development in this research domain. Conducted at the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RFCUNY), doing business as York College, the project supports NSF's priorities in artificial intelligence while addressing a fundamental challenge in human communication—enabling adults to acquire non-native language sounds more effectively. These deliverables align with the Biological Sciences program's mandate to advance fundamental biological research, strengthen the scientific enterprise, and support workforce development through research experiences.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $389.5k | 4/27/26 |