Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of California, San Diego received a $819,788 Project Grant award dated July 15, 2026, through the National Science Foundation's Office of Multidisciplinary Activities under the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences program (CFDA 47.075). The grant funds research examining inhibitory control mechanisms in verbal decision-making, with completion targeted for June 30, 2029. The project investigates how individuals select appropriate words during speech production through cognitive and behavioral testing methodologies, including eye-tracking analysis. The research focuses on a paradox in language processing whereby repeated exposure to bilingual or multilingual contexts can lead to performance reversals, wherein less frequently used language forms are produced faster and more accurately than dominant language forms—a phenomenon hypothesized to result from active neural suppression of more experienced language aspects.

This fundamental research into word selection processes and inhibitory control has direct applications for understanding language disorders, informing clinical assessment and treatment protocols, and advancing educational methodologies. The project supports development of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce through training of undergraduate and graduate students, consistent with the program's emphasis on building research capacity in the behavioral and cognitive sciences domain.