Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a $533,425 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded July 15, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2030. The award funds investigator-initiated basic biomedical research to define new regulatory mechanisms and functional roles of the E3 ligase protein RNF25 in DNA replication stress response and cellular stress signaling. The research will elucidate how RNF25 is regulated at stalled replication forks, how it interfaces with broader DNA damage response (DDR) signaling networks, and how its dual functionality in both genotoxic stress and ribotoxic stress responses contributes to cell fate decisions and genome maintenance—work that addresses significant gaps in understanding DDR coordination and has implications for preventing stem cell dysfunction, neurodegeneration, and neoplasia.

The project advances fundamental knowledge of biological processes underlying genome integrity and cellular stress responses, which aligns with NIGMS's core mission to support discovery-driven research that lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Performance will occur at UNC-Chapel Hill's research facilities in Raleigh, North Carolina.