Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation awarded University of Notre Dame DU Lac a $555,135 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Project Grant effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). This award supports fundamental research investigating how compressive mechanical forces generated by tumor growth impair immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment. The project will deliver scientific knowledge and experimental findings establishing core principles of how physical forces regulate immune cell behavior and function, with deliverables including engineered model systems spanning multiple biological scales (cellular systems, organotypic brain models, and animal disease models) that mechanistically link tumor-induced mechanical stress to immunosuppression.

The research outcomes are designed to advance understanding of cancer immunology and physics-biology interactions, with applications toward improving cancer therapeutic design and advancing national biotechnology and biomedical innovation priorities. Additionally, the award includes integrated educational and training components that will deliver workforce development services across multiple student levels, providing research experiences and fostering multidisciplinary competencies in biomedical engineering. This CAREER award represents NSF's commitment to supporting early-career faculty who demonstrate the potential to serve as academic role models and leaders in their engineering disciplines while addressing fundamental research questions with broad implications for human health.