** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** RICE IS A STAPLE CROP FOR MOST OF THE WORLD AND A COMMON GRAIN CONSUMED IN THE UNITED STATES.RICE EXPORT FROM THE U.S. IS VALUED AT NEARLY $2 BILLION PER YEAR. RICE YIELD AND GRAIN QUALITY ARE SENSITIVE TO HIGHER NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES (HNT) STRESS, ESPECIALLY DURING GRAIN DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROBLEM IS FURTHER EXACERBATED DUE TO CONTINUED ASYMMETRIC INCREASE IN NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES RELATIVE TO DAYTIME TEMPERATURES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. WE HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THREE RICE GENES THAT CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE NATURAL VARIATION FOR GRAIN SIZE/WEIGHT IN RICE GERMPLASM UNDER HNT. IN THIS PROJECT, WE AIM TO LEVERAGE THESE FINDINGS AND ASSOCIATED GENETIC RESOURCES TO ELUCIDATE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR BASIS OF HNT TOLERANCE FOR GRAIN YIELD AND QUALITY PARAMETERS. THIS RESEARCH WILL GENERATE THE FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR DEVELOPING RICE CULTIVARS THAT ARE NOT ONLY RESILIENT TO HNT FOR GRAIN YIELD BUT ARE ALSO ABLE TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE RICE LOSSES DUE TO POOR GRAIN QUALITY. SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL ELUCIDATE MECHANISMS FOR HNT TOLERANCE IN RICE AND CREATE NEW MOLECULAR INSIGHTS FOR HIGHER YIELD AND QUALITY IN RICE.