NSF Research Infrastructure:
Alison E. Murray (Desert Research Institute), Rachel J. O'Neill (University of Connectict), Allyson Hindle (University of Nevada Las Vegas), Arvind Varsani (Arizona State University), Patrick Chain (Los Alamos National Laboratory): "Genome Infrastructure catalyzing next Generation Antarctic Data, Access, Tools and Analytics" (2026-2031)
Award No. NSF 2535692

NSF Biology Integration Institute:
Linda A. Deegan (Woodwell Climate Research Center), Christopher Neill (Woodwell Climate Research Center), Natalie T. Boelman (Columbia University), Mark C. Urban (University of Connecticut), Jill L. Wegrzyn (University of Connecticut): "Evolving Meta-Ecosystems in the Arctic" (2024-2030)
Award No. NSF 2320675

UConn CLAS Strategic Plan:
Jill Wegrzyn, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Rachel O’Neill, Molecular and Cell Biology; Anne Bucklin, Marine Sciences: “Conservation and Biodiversity Genomics in a Changing Climate”. Academic Theme: The Earth and Its Future (2022-2023)

NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB):
Michelle Neitzey: "Adapting to climate adversity: conservation genomics assessments for the future of American beech" (2025-2028)

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grant:
Karl Fetter, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: "A Conservation Genomics Program to Identify Climate Adapted Genes in the Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)." USDA/NIFA (2023-2025)
Accession No. 1030624

UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Award:
Emily Lesinski: "Characterizing the molecular mechanisms of resistance to an invasive fungal pathogen in white pines" (2026)

UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Award:
Cynthia Webster: "Genomic Resources for Conservation of a North American Walnut Threatened by a Non-Native Fungal Pathogen" (2026)

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP):
Airianna McGuire: "Investigation of climate adaptation of an Arctic salmonid (Thymallus arcticus) using a pangenome to assess structural variants that may underlie adaptation" (2025-2028)

UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Award:
Cynthia Webster: "Genomic Resources for Conservation of a North American Walnut Threatened by a Non-Native Fungal Pathogen" (2025)

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP):
Cynthia Webster: "Advancing Genomic Research and Conservation Efforts Through De Novo Pangenome Construction: A Case Study on Juglans Species Threatened by a Non-Native Fungal Pathogen" (2024-2027)

Morton Arboretum Center for Tree Science Fellowship
Cynthia Webster, Karl C. Fetter, Carolina Jara, Adam Glendening, Stefan Wnuk, Nicole Pauloski, Aziz Ebrahimi, Carolyn Pike, Anna Conrad, Jill Wegrzyn: "Advancing Genomic Research and Conservation Efforts Through De Novo Pangenome Construction: A Case Study on Juglans Species Threatened by a Non-Native Fungal Pathogen" (2024-2025)

Specific Objectives:

1. Select Japanese walnut, butternut and buartnut individuals from the tails of the disease resistance trait distributions for whole genome sequencing
2. Construct a de novo pangenome assembly with sequenced Juglans accessions and conduct a presence-absence variant-based association analysis

Sargent Award:
Vidya Vuruputoor: "The first reference genome of Tsuga canadensis and assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors" (2024)

New England Botanical Society Award:
Vidya Vuruputoor: "Assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors" (2024)

Rednalis Award:
Vidya Vuruputoor: "Assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors" (2024)

UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Award:
Vidya Vuruputoor: "Elucidating genomic mechanisms of hemlock woolly adelgid resistance through transcriptome profiling" (2024)

Ronald Bamford Grant:
Vidya Vuruputoor: "Assessing transcriptomes across hemlock species to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic defense to stressors" (2022)

UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship:
Tyler Cocchiola: "Genomic resources for maple conservation in a changing climate: A reference genome for Acer macrophyllum and a pangenome framework for the genus Acer" (2026)

UConn SURF:
Avery DeSilva: "Magnolia: a super-pangenome of one of the oldest lineages of flowering plants" (2026)

UConn SURF:
Jenna Kent: "Investigating the polyploidy of an Arctic Willow" (2026)

UConn SURF:
Andrew Deierlein: "Housewarming Gifts - Candidatus Endoriftia persephone & the Type I Secretion System" (2025)

UConn SURF:
Alan Rodger: "Investigating the genetic basis for traits associated with hybridization and geographic expansion in Canis latrans" (2025)

UConn SURF:
Anthony He: "Assembly and Annotation of a Chromosome‐Scale Reference Genome for the Golden Conure" (2024)

UConn SURF:
Keertana Chagari: "Reproducible Bioinformatic Workflows to Produce Diploid Phased Eukaryotic Genome Assemblies" (2024)

UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship:
Cristopher Guzman: "Preserving a Threatened Walnut Tree through Genomics: Comprehensive Sequencing, Assembly, Annotation and Comparative Genomics" (2023)

UConn SURF:
Cristopher Guzman: "Genomic Examination of Juglans ailantifolia for the Continuation of Juglans cinerea Conservation against OCJ/SCJ Disease" (2023)

UConn SURF:
Harshita Akella: "The first genome reference for the tropical legume, Inga vera, and comparative analysis of genes involved in nitrogen fixation among the Fabaceae" (2023)

UConn SURF:
Emily Trybulec: "Automation of de novo genome assembly and comparative genomics using bioinformatic workflows" (2023)

UConn SURF:
Emily Strickland: "Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Resistance in Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda)" (2022)