The university of wisconsin-madison received this award, which was later transferred to the orang-utang conservations genetics project

The Orang Utan Conservation Genetics Project Inc. received a $590,952 Project Grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312). The award will support a global orangutan genomic study and species management plan through September 2024.

Specifically, the grantee will collaborate with 24 zoos, associations, academic institutions, and industry groups to collect and analyze genetic samples from approximately 950 orangutans in living collections worldwide. This will generate data to fully understand threats like interbreeding between species and inbreeding. It will also lead to the development and initial implementation of a global species management plan for orangutans' long-term sustainability. The research findings and management plan will be publicly available to help ensure orangutans' continued viability.

They will collaborate with a consortium of 24 zoos, zoological associations, academic institutions, and industry groups, and lead a global orangutan genomic study to fully understand threats to their sustainability such as interbreeding between orangutan species and inbreeding due to the previous lack of DNA data. The project will involve collecting and analyzing genetic samples from approximately 950 orangutans in living collections worldwide, leading to the development and initial implementation of a global species management plan for orangutans. The project activities will generate publicly available research data about the global orangutan population and a plan for their long-term global management, helping ensure the continued sustainability of orangutans.