Project Grant 2625147

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology awarded a RAPID Project Grant of $287,516 to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler on July 15, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2027, to investigate the impacts of cyclone-induced flooding on environmentally acquired respiratory pathogens. The research focuses on nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)—naturally occurring bacteria found in water and soil that can cause chronic lung disease—using the March-April 2026 Hawai'i Kona Low cyclone flooding events as a natural laboratory. The project builds upon a decade of existing environmental surveillance and whole genome sequencing data to understand how large environmental disturbances reshape microbial communities and influence potential health risks to human populations, particularly in regions like Hawai'i that experience among the highest rates of NTM lung disease in the United States.

Beyond primary research deliverables, the project promotes science education and workforce development by engaging high school students, mentors, university trainees, and community scientists across Hawai'i in authentic research experiences spanning microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence applications. The research is designed to advance disaster preparedness and recovery efforts by providing evidence-based knowledge that may reduce respiratory disease risks for vulnerable populations following natural disaster events. As a RAPID grant under the NSF Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), this funding supports time-sensitive research on natural disaster impacts and generates findings applicable to public health planning in disaster-prone communities.