Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Biological Infrastructure awarded the University of Central Oklahoma a $458,550 Project Grant (CFDA 47.074, Biological Sciences) effective May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029, to establish a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site focused on plant-pollinator dynamics in island ecosystems. The award supports the training of seven undergraduate students annually over eight-week summer sessions during 2026-2028 at a research site on Lesvos, Greece, one of the world's most biodiverse locations for bee species. Students will conduct integrative biological research examining environmental stressors (chemicals, thermal extremes, and others) that negatively impact bee populations across four complementary research areas: comparative learning analysis, foraging dynamics, ecophysiological phenotypes under stress, and underlying genomic and molecular systems.

The primary deliverables include workforce development outcomes through field and laboratory training in experimental design and research methodologies, with students presenting findings at professional conferences. Assessment mechanisms include biweekly written reflections, post-program surveys measuring scientific career preparation, and annual reports documenting participant outcomes. This research directly supports NSF priorities in artificial intelligence applications and advances understanding of global pollinator population decline, thereby contributing to conservation of both native bee species and those critical to crop pollination.