**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE CHANGING CLIMATE IS BRINGING BACK COMPLEX BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC CONSTRAINTS RESULTING IN CROP YIELD LOSSES. DUE TO THE NARROW GENETIC BASE OF THE HEXAPLOID WHEAT AND LIMITED GENE FLOW FROM WHEAT PROGENITORS AND WILD RELATIVES, THE GENETIC DIVERSITY OF CULTIVATED WHEAT IS HIGHLY RESTRICTED. TO DEVELOP CLIMATE-RESILIENT WHEAT VARIETIES FOR FUTURE FOOD SECURITY, THERE IS A DIRE NEED TO PREEMPTIVELY EXPLORE AND INTROGRESS NOVEL ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE TRAITS IN THE WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAMS. AMONG WHEAT WILD RELATIVES, AEGILOPS UMBELLULATA HAS A HIGH TOLERANCE TO ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC STRESSES, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN EXPLORED IN DETAIL. THROUGH THIS SEED GRANT, NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS WILL DEVELOP NEW GENETIC AND GENOMIC RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE TRANSFER OF VALUABLE STRESS TOLERANCE TRAITS FROM AE. UMBELLULATA TO WHEAT VARIETIES.