Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology awarded $395,449 to the University of New Mexico (Biological Sciences program, CFDA 47.074) on August 1, 2026, for a four-year project titled "STAR: Testing the Theoretical Basis of Microbe-Mediated Plant Adaptation to Drought." The research deliverables include empirical investigations into how beneficial soil fungi enhance plant drought resilience, with a focus on blue grama grass and its native root fungal partnerships in dryland ecosystems. Through controlled experiments and high-throughput biotechnology-based microbial community analyses, the project will produce predictive frameworks explaining host-microbiome interactions and mechanisms underlying microbial-mediated plant adaptation. Findings are intended to advance understanding of plant responses to environmental stress and identify biological approaches for enhancing ecosystem resilience in regions covering over 40% of Earth's land surface.

The project integrates research methodologies across ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, and biotechnology to develop theory-based explanations for cooperative relationships between plants and microorganisms. Broader impacts include student training and public outreach activities. Work is scheduled for completion by July 31, 2030, and will be performed at the University of New Mexico's Office of Sponsored Projects in Albuquerque, New Mexico.