Scripps Oceanography at UCSD Receives $15M Grant for Deep Sea and Glacier Research

The funds from the new Fund for Science and Technology will support ocean monitoring, environmental DNA analysis, and studies of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 10:55pm

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The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has been awarded a $15 million grant from the newly established Fund for Science and Technology, founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's estate. The grant, the largest of its kind since Scripps joined UCSD in 1960, will fund research in three key areas: monitoring environmental DNA and other biomolecules in marine ecosystems, expanding the Argo network of ocean observing robots, and enhancing the study of ocean conditions beneath Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier.

Why it matters

This funding will enable Scripps researchers to advance the understanding of our planet's ocean systems, which have significant implications for communities around the world. The grant supports critical work to track climate impacts, study the deep sea, and investigate the rapidly melting Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the "Doomsday Glacier" due to its potential to raise global sea levels.

The details

The grant will go toward three main research areas: 1) Using autonomous samplers to collect ocean water for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis and reveal the biology of the open ocean and polar regions; 2) Deploying around 50 Deep Argo floats to enhance monitoring of the deep ocean, which has warmed faster than expected in recent decades; and 3) Collecting water samples and other measurements from beneath the Thwaites Glacier's ice tongue to better understand the drivers of its rapid melting.

  • The grant was announced on March 3, 2026.
  • Scripps scientists will conduct fieldwork in Antarctica this season to study the Thwaites Glacier.

The players

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego

A world-renowned ocean research institution that has been part of the University of California, San Diego since 1960.

The Fund for Science and Technology

A new private foundation started in 2025 with a commitment to invest at least $500 million over four years to support transformative science and technology.

Pradeep Khosla

The chancellor of the University of California, San Diego.

Lynda Stuart

The president and CEO of the Fund for Science and Technology.

Margaret Leinen

The director emeritus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

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What they’re saying

“Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is pushing boundaries for exploration and discovery across the global ocean. This visionary support from the Fund for Science and Technology will enable Scripps researchers to advance our understanding of our planet, which has meaningful implications for communities around the world.”

— Pradeep Khosla, Chancellor, University of California, San Diego

“The Fund for Science and Technology was created to support transformational science in the search of answers to some of the planet's most complex questions. Scripps has a long tradition of leadership at the frontiers of ocean and climate science, and this work builds on that legacy -- strengthening the tools and insights needed to understand our environment at a truly global and unprecedented scale.”

— Lynda Stuart, President and CEO, Fund for Science and Technology

“In many regions, we know very little about the microbial communities that form the base of the ocean food web or that make deep sea ecosystems so unique. Without data, we can't predict how these communities are going to respond to climate change or what the consequences might be. That's a vulnerability -- and this funding will help us begin to address it.”

— Margaret Leinen, Director Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

What’s next

Scripps scientists will conduct fieldwork in Antarctica this season to test hypotheses about the drivers of the Thwaites Glacier's rapid melting, with implications for sea-level rise projections.

The takeaway

This historic grant to Scripps Oceanography will enable critical research to better understand our planet's ocean systems, from monitoring environmental DNA to enhancing deep-sea observation and studying the rapidly changing Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. The funding supports Scripps' long tradition of pioneering ocean and climate science with transformative new tools and insights.