Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a $598,807 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation's Division of Biological Infrastructure under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and computational tools for decoding gene regulatory mechanisms. The project, spanning June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031, will deliver a structure-informed framework that integrates genetic variation, gene expression, protein abundance, and protein structure data to make AI models more interpretable and biologically grounded. The core innovation involves leveraging protein structural context to organize multi-omics datasets, enabling researchers to identify how specific protein regions influence gene activity and to validate model predictions through genome-editing experiments.

In addition to the primary research deliverables, the award includes educational components designed to expand access to AI and biological data literacy training. The project will produce interactive tutorials, workshops, and research experiences using real biological datasets that build student competencies in coding, data analysis, and interdisciplinary scientific discovery. These outputs directly support the National Science Foundation's priorities in artificial intelligence and biotechnology by advancing explainable computational tools for biological discovery and creating educational resources that strengthen the nation's scientific workforce in this critical intersection of biology and computational science.