**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** TECHNOLOGIES THAT ALLOW FORPREDETERMINATION OF PROGENY SEX WOULD IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, PROFITABILITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BEEF INDUSTRYDUE TO VALUE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE CALVES. HOWEVER,CRITICAL GAPS IN KNOWLEDGEANDKNOWLEDGE TRANSFERHAVE LIMITED USE OF SEX-SELECTION AMONG BEEF CATTLE. BASIC RESEARCH HAS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED THE QUALITY OF SEX-SORTED SEMEN, NOW WIDELY AVAILABLE FOR DAIRY SIRES AND INCREASINGLY BEEF SIRES. NEVERTHELESS,ADOPTION OF SEX-SELECTION IN THE BEEF INDUSTRY IS LIMITEDDUE TO SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR PREGNANCY TO SEX-SORTED SEMEN IN TIMED ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION. REDUCTIONS IN FERTILITY STEM FROM POORLY UNDERSTOOD AND THEREFORE POORLY MANAGED POST-THAW LONGEVITY OF SEX-SORTED SPERMATOZOA. THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSED AROUNDOPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE FIELD FERTILITY WITH SEX-SORTED SEMEN, SUCH AS SCREENING OF SPERM FOR ADEQUATE LONGEVITY, MANAGEMENT FOR OPTIMAL TIMING OF INSEMINATION, AND MORE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF THE ESTROUS CYCLE SO AS TO MINIMIZE VARIATION IN TIMING OF OVULATION. THIS PROJECTWILL RAPIDLY ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE THROUGH ANINTEGRATED APPROACH OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSIVE EXTENSION EFFORTS. IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS, WEWILL DEVELOP A PREDICTIVE METHOD TO ASSESS POST-THAW LONGEVITY OF SEX-SORTED SPERMATOZOA. SECONDLY,WE WILL DETERMINE OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT OF TIMING OF INSEMINATION WITH SEX-SORTED SEMEN. FURTHERMORE, WE WILL DISSEMINATE ESTROUS CYCLE CONTROL METHODS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO SEX-SORTED SEMEN, PROVIDE END-USERS WITH EXPERIENCE USING THESE TECHNOLOGIES, AND EVALUATE ECONOMIC IMPACT.BYSEAMLESSLY INTEGRATING EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH, THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN INCREASED ADOPTION OF THISHIGHLY IMPACTFUL TECHNOLOGYFOR SEX-SELECTION OF CATTLE.