Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received an $800,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), awarded June 15, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2029. This collaborative research initiative delivers systematic discovery, characterization, and high-resolution structural determination of RNA tertiary structures in human cells using innovative chemical probing technologies. The research team will identify and functionally characterize previously unknown three-dimensional RNA folds, with specific objectives including investigation of regulatory roles in transcription factor genes, evaluation of structural impacts in untranslated regions through massively parallel reporter assays, and establishment of an efficient discovery pipeline for RNA tertiary motifs.

The grant advances fundamental knowledge of gene regulation with direct applications to RNA-targeted therapeutic development and supports artificial intelligence efforts to predict RNA structures, analogous to breakthroughs achieved in protein folding prediction. Additionally, the project delivers workforce development by training undergraduate researchers in collaborative team science, preparing the next generation of biotechnology innovators and strengthening the U.S. scientific workforce in an area of strategic national importance. The three-dimensional RNA structures solved through this research will be made available to support broader computational and medicinal applications.