Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Oregon received a $1,051,508 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Biological Infrastructure under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), awarded July 15, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2029. This award funds research to elucidate the genetic basis of regulatory evolution in threespine stickleback fish using single-cell genomic and computational approaches. The primary deliverables include scientific discoveries regarding how genetic variants produce differential phenotypic outcomes across environmental conditions, identification of cell types responding to environmental shifts, and the generation of broadly applicable genomic resources for the research community. Additionally, the project will produce open-source computational pipelines designed for dissemination to advance similar regulatory genomics research.

Beyond core research outputs, the grant supports significant education and workforce development products, including hands-on training for graduate and undergraduate students in genomics and genetic engineering, integration of project data into an undergraduate computational genomics course curriculum, and development of gene-regulation teaching modules for high school audiences. The award also advances human health applications by investigating genes with human counterparts implicated in hypertension and metabolic disorders, and commits to broad recruitment efforts to expand participation in science.