Overview
The Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans (GECCO) is a five-year NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 project led by the University of Guam, supported by a $20 million award to advance research on coral reef survival in a rapidly changing environment. Building on prior EPSCoR initiatives, GECCO implements a coordinated research agenda integrating biodiversity studies, population genetics, genomics, phylogenetics, ecology, microbiology, oceanography, and mathematical modeling. Together, these approaches document and predict the taxonomic and functional diversity of reef-building corals and associated organisms under environmental stress. The project also significantly enhances UOG’s cyberinfrastructure, establishing a Pacific Rim hub for high-speed networking and high‑throughput computing to manage large genomic and oceanographic datasets. In parallel, GECCO promotes STEM education, workforce training, sustainability, and collaborative science to strengthen regional research capacity.
Guam E-CORE
Optimizing Research Infrastructure on Guam (ORIG) is a four-year NSF EPSCoR RII E‑CORE project designed to strengthen and sustain Guam’s research ecosystem. Led by the University of Guam in partnership with Guam Community College, ORIG builds collaborative networks among academia, territorial and federal agencies, and the private sector to support competitive scientific research aligned with local and national priorities. The project emphasizes expanding research capacity while connecting the research enterprise to higher‑education STEM pathways that prepare a skilled workforce. These efforts directly support economic diversification goals outlined in Guam’s Science and Technology Economic Diversification Plan. Funded by up to $8 million, ORIG builds on infrastructure established through the previous Guam EPSCoR Track‑1 project, GECCO, to advance STEM research, training, and workforce development that contribute to a resilient, STEM‑based economy for Guam.
Guam E-RISE
The E‑RISE RII Incubator advances interdisciplinary research and workforce development in Guam by fostering collaboration across institutions and research teams. Aligned with Guam’s Science and Technology Economic Diversification Plan, the incubator strengthens STEM capacity through four focus areas: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Data Science and Modeling, Integrative Biological Collections, and Research and Knowledge Translation. E‑RISE builds collaborative networks to drive innovation, supports faculty and postdoctoral research teams, and provides training for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Guam and Guam Community College. Its mission is to assess ecosystem services and prepare a skilled workforce for sustainable natural resource management and information technology–based economic opportunities.