diff --git a/.github/actions/package-lock.json b/.github/actions/package-lock.json
index 0a48c560..8e0a8eb2 100644
--- a/.github/actions/package-lock.json
+++ b/.github/actions/package-lock.json
@@ -9,9 +9,102 @@
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "license": "BSD-3 Clause",
       "dependencies": {
+        "@octokit/graphql": "^8.1.1",
         "yaml": "^2.8.3"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@octokit/endpoint": {
+      "version": "10.1.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@octokit/endpoint/-/endpoint-10.1.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-OlYOlZIsfEVZm5HCSR8aSg02T2lbUWOsCQoPKfTXJwDzcHQBrVBGdGXb89dv2Kw2ToZaRtudp8O3ZIYoaOjKlA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@octokit/types": "^14.0.0",
+        "universal-user-agent": "^7.0.2"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 18"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@octokit/graphql": {
+      "version": "8.2.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@octokit/graphql/-/graphql-8.2.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Yi8hcoqsrXGdt0yObxbebHXFOiUA+2v3n53epuOg1QUgOB6c4XzvisBNVXJSl8RYA5KrDuSL2yq9Qmqe5N0ryA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@octokit/request": "^9.2.3",
+        "@octokit/types": "^14.0.0",
+        "universal-user-agent": "^7.0.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 18"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@octokit/openapi-types": {
+      "version": "25.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@octokit/openapi-types/-/openapi-types-25.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-idsIggNXUKkk0+BExUn1dQ92sfysJrje03Q0bv0e+KPLrvyqZF8MnBpFz8UNfYDwB3Ie7Z0TByjWfzxt7vseaA==",
+      "license": "MIT"
+    },
+    "node_modules/@octokit/request": {
+      "version": "9.2.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@octokit/request/-/request-9.2.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-q8ybdytBmxa6KogWlNa818r0k1wlqzNC+yNkcQDECHvQo8Vmstrg18JwqJHdJdUiHD2sjlwBgSm9kHkOKe2iyA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@octokit/endpoint": "^10.1.4",
+        "@octokit/request-error": "^6.1.8",
+        "@octokit/types": "^14.0.0",
+        "fast-content-type-parse": "^2.0.0",
+        "universal-user-agent": "^7.0.2"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 18"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@octokit/request-error": {
+      "version": "6.1.8",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@octokit/request-error/-/request-error-6.1.8.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-WEi/R0Jmq+IJKydWlKDmryPcmdYSVjL3ekaiEL1L9eo1sUnqMJ+grqmC9cjk7CA7+b2/T397tO5d8YLOH3qYpQ==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@octokit/types": "^14.0.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 18"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@octokit/types": {
+      "version": "14.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@octokit/types/-/types-14.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-1y6DgTy8Jomcpu33N+p5w58l6xyt55Ar2I91RPiIA0xCJBXyUAhXCcmZaDWSANiha7R9a6qJJ2CRomGPZ6f46g==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@octokit/openapi-types": "^25.1.0"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/fast-content-type-parse": {
+      "version": "2.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fast-content-type-parse/-/fast-content-type-parse-2.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-nGqtvLrj5w0naR6tDPfB4cUmYCqouzyQiz6C5y/LtcDllJdrcc6WaWW6iXyIIOErTa/XRybj28aasdn4LkVk6Q==",
+      "funding": [
+        {
+          "type": "github",
+          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/fastify"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "opencollective",
+          "url": "https://opencollective.com/fastify"
+        }
+      ],
+      "license": "MIT"
+    },
+    "node_modules/universal-user-agent": {
+      "version": "7.0.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/universal-user-agent/-/universal-user-agent-7.0.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-TmnEAEAsBJVZM/AADELsK76llnwcf9vMKuPz8JflO1frO8Lchitr0fNaN9d+Ap0BjKtqWqd/J17qeDnXh8CL2A==",
+      "license": "ISC"
+    },
     "node_modules/yaml": {
       "version": "2.8.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yaml/-/yaml-2.8.3.tgz",
diff --git a/.github/actions/package.json b/.github/actions/package.json
index 52513de9..1fe611ef 100644
--- a/.github/actions/package.json
+++ b/.github/actions/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
   "author": "allison-truhlar",
   "license": "BSD-3 Clause",
   "dependencies": {
+    "@octokit/graphql": "^8.1.1",
     "yaml": "^2.8.3"
   }
 }
diff --git a/.github/actions/update-project-dates.js b/.github/actions/update-project-dates.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..71d44577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/update-project-dates.js
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, readdirSync } from "fs";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
+import { dirname, join } from "path";
+import yaml from "yaml";
+import { graphql } from "@octokit/graphql";
+
+const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const PROJECTS_DIR = join(__dirname, "..", "..", "src", "content", "projects");
+
+const authToken = process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN || process.env.OSSI_SITE_TOKEN;
+if (!authToken) {
+  console.error(
+    "Missing GITHUB_TOKEN (or OSSI_SITE_TOKEN) environment variable."
+  );
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+const graphqlWithAuth = graphql.defaults({
+  headers: { authorization: `token ${authToken}` },
+});
+
+// extracts the frontmatter block, split into the pieces needed to splice a
+// single field back in without reserializing (and reformatting) the rest of it
+function extractFrontMatter(content) {
+  const match = content.match(/^(---\n)([\s\S]+?)(\n---)/);
+  return match
+    ? { full: match[0], prefix: match[1], body: match[2], suffix: match[3] }
+    : null;
+}
+
+function parseOwnerRepo(githubUrl) {
+  let url;
+  try {
+    url = new URL(githubUrl);
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const parts = url.pathname.split("/").filter((part) => part !== "");
+  if (parts.length < 2) return null;
+  return { owner: parts[0], repo: parts[1].replace(/\.git$/, "") };
+}
+
+function upsertField(frontMatterBody, key, value) {
+  const lineRegex = new RegExp(`^${key}:.*$`, "m");
+  const newLine = `${key}: ${value}`;
+  if (lineRegex.test(frontMatterBody)) {
+    return frontMatterBody.replace(lineRegex, newLine);
+  }
+  const githubLinkRegex = /^(github link:.*)$/m;
+  if (githubLinkRegex.test(frontMatterBody)) {
+    return frontMatterBody.replace(githubLinkRegex, `$1\n${newLine}`);
+  }
+  return `${frontMatterBody}\n${newLine}`;
+}
+
+// 1. gather project files and the owner/repo their "github link" points to
+const projectFiles = readdirSync(PROJECTS_DIR).filter(
+  (file) => file.endsWith(".md") && !file.startsWith("_")
+);
+
+const projectRepos = [];
+for (const file of projectFiles) {
+  const filePath = join(PROJECTS_DIR, file);
+  const content = readFileSync(filePath, "utf8");
+  const frontMatter = extractFrontMatter(content);
+  if (!frontMatter) {
+    console.warn(`Skipping ${file}: no frontmatter found.`);
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  const parsed = yaml.parse(frontMatter.body);
+  const githubUrl = parsed["github link"];
+  const ownerRepo = githubUrl ? parseOwnerRepo(githubUrl) : null;
+  if (!ownerRepo) {
+    console.warn(
+      `Skipping ${file}: could not parse "github link" (${githubUrl}).`
+    );
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  projectRepos.push({ file, filePath, content, frontMatter, ...ownerRepo });
+}
+
+// 2. batch-fetch pushedAt for every unique repo in a single GraphQL call
+const repoKey = (owner, repo) => `${owner}/${repo}`.toLowerCase();
+const uniqueRepos = [
+  ...new Map(
+    projectRepos.map((p) => [repoKey(p.owner, p.repo), p])
+  ).values(),
+];
+
+const queryParts = [];
+const variableDefs = [];
+const variables = {};
+uniqueRepos.forEach((p, i) => {
+  queryParts.push(
+    `r${i}: repository(owner: $owner${i}, name: $name${i}) { nameWithOwner pushedAt }`
+  );
+  variableDefs.push(`$owner${i}: String!`, `$name${i}: String!`);
+  variables[`owner${i}`] = p.owner;
+  variables[`name${i}`] = p.repo;
+});
+
+const query = `query(${variableDefs.join(", ")}) {\n${queryParts.join(
+  "\n"
+)}\n}`;
+
+let result;
+try {
+  result = await graphqlWithAuth(query, variables);
+} catch (error) {
+  if (error.data){
+    console.warn("GraphQL returned partial data:", error.message);
+    result = error.data;
+  }
+  else {
+    console.error("GraphQL query failed:", error.message);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+// 3. build repoDates in memory: repo (owner/name, lowercased) -> pushedAt
+const repoDates = {};
+uniqueRepos.forEach((p, i) => {
+  const repoResult = result[`r${i}`];
+  if (repoResult && repoResult.pushedAt) {
+    repoDates[repoKey(p.owner, p.repo)] = repoResult.pushedAt;
+  } else {
+    console.warn(
+      `No pushedAt found for ${p.owner}/${p.repo} (referenced by ${p.file})`
+    );
+  }
+});
+
+// 4. splice the resulting update_date into each project's frontmatter
+let updatedCount = 0;
+for (const project of projectRepos) {
+  const pushedAt = repoDates[repoKey(project.owner, project.repo)];
+  if (!pushedAt) continue;
+
+  const updateDate = pushedAt.slice(0, 10); // YYYY-MM-DD
+  const newBody = upsertField(
+    project.frontMatter.body,
+    "update_date",
+    updateDate
+  );
+  if (newBody === project.frontMatter.body) continue;
+
+  const newContent = project.content.replace(
+    project.frontMatter.full,
+    `${project.frontMatter.prefix}${newBody}${project.frontMatter.suffix}`
+  );
+  writeFileSync(project.filePath, newContent);
+  updatedCount++;
+}
+
+console.log(`Updated update_date in ${updatedCount} project file(s).`);
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-project-dates.yml b/.github/workflows/update-project-dates.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a041a78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-project-dates.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+name: Update project last-updated dates
+
+# Refreshes the update_date frontmatter field on every project .md file from
+# each project's GitHub repository pushedAt timestamp, so the site's
+# "Last updated" sort stays current without manual upkeep.
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: "0 6 * * 1" # every Monday at 06:00 UTC
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  actions: write
+
+jobs:
+  update-dates:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+          cache: "npm"
+          cache-dependency-path: .github/actions/package-lock.json
+
+      - name: Install npm dependencies
+        run: npm ci
+        working-directory: .github/actions
+
+      - name: Fetch and update project dates
+        run: node update-project-dates.js
+        working-directory: .github/actions
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Commit and push changes
+        id: commit
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git add src/content/projects
+          if git diff --cached --quiet; then
+            echo "No changes to commit."
+          else
+            git commit -m "chore: update project last-updated dates"
+            git push
+            echo "pushed=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Trigger deploy
+        if: steps.commit.outputs.pushed == 'true'
+        run: gh workflow run deploy-to-github-pages.yml
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
diff --git a/src/components/projects/CardContainer.jsx b/src/components/projects/CardContainer.jsx
index 2c4f86dd..9b253581 100644
--- a/src/components/projects/CardContainer.jsx
+++ b/src/components/projects/CardContainer.jsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
 import { useStore } from "@nanostores/react";
 import { selectedTags } from "@stores/selectedTagsStore";
 import { selectedProjectType } from "@stores/selectedProjectTypeStore";
+import { selectedSort } from "@stores/selectedSortStore";
 import { getTagValues } from "@utils/getTags";
 import { $projectData } from "@stores/projectSearchResultsStore";
 import { $ecosystemData } from "@stores/ecosystemSearchResultsStore";
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ export default function CardContainer({
   cardContent,
   contentType,
   maxLength,
+  //sortedTitlesMap,
+  sortOrder
 }) {
   const [visible, setVisible] = useState("relative");
   const [order, setOrder] = useState(0);
@@ -25,6 +28,7 @@ export default function CardContainer({
   const ecosystemData = useStore($ecosystemData);
   const $selectedTags = useStore(selectedTags);
   const $selectedProjectType = useStore(selectedProjectType);
+  const $selectedSort = useStore(selectedSort);
   const tagsArray = getTagValues(tagsObj);
 
   let contentData = null;
@@ -53,8 +57,14 @@ export default function CardContainer({
   useEffect(() => {
     if (typeof window !== "undefined") {
       const matchingIndex = findMatchingIndex(contentData, title);
-      const itemOrder =
-        urlQuery === "" ? Math.floor(Math.random() * maxLength) : matchingIndex;
+      let itemOrder;
+      if (urlQuery !== "") {
+        itemOrder = matchingIndex; 
+      } else if (sortOrder && Number.isInteger(sortOrder[$selectedSort])) {
+        itemOrder = sortOrder[$selectedSort];
+      } else {
+        itemOrder = Math.floor(Math.random() * maxLength);
+      }
       setOrder(itemOrder);
 
       const isSearchMatch =
@@ -83,6 +93,7 @@ export default function CardContainer({
     contentData,
     $selectedProjectType,
     $selectedTags,
+    $selectedSort,
     contentType,
     projectType,
   ]);
diff --git a/src/components/projects/FilterMenu.jsx b/src/components/projects/FilterMenu.jsx
index 40ec8ce5..8ebfadc0 100644
--- a/src/components/projects/FilterMenu.jsx
+++ b/src/components/projects/FilterMenu.jsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export default function FilterMenu({ uniqueTags }) {
     <div
       className={`${
         $isFilterMenuVisible ? "flex translate-x-0" : "translate-x-full"
-      }  bg-page z-40 md:z-auto fixed md:static  md:translate-x-0 top-0 right-0  transition-transform duration-500 w-full h-[100dvh] md:h-auto md:max-h-full flex-col px-4 md:pl-0 `}
+      }  bg-page z-40 md:z-auto fixed md:static  md:translate-x-0 top-0 right-0  transition-transform duration-500 w-full h-[100dvh] md:h-auto md:max-h-full flex-col px-4 md:pl-0 md:mb-4`}
     >
       <button
         className="md:hidden z-50 my-4 self-end btn-secondary rounded-full"
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ export default function FilterMenu({ uniqueTags }) {
         <TbX />
       </button>
       <div className="overflow-y-scroll md:overflow-hidden px-2">
-        {/* This h3 and button are visible only on medium and larger screen sizes */}
-        <div className="hidden md:flex items-center justify-between pt-2 pb-4">
+        <div className="flex items-center justify-between pt-2 md:pt-0 pb-4">
           <h3 className="text-lg font-bold ">Filter by tag</h3>
           <button
             className="btn-reset"
@@ -120,15 +119,11 @@ export default function FilterMenu({ uniqueTags }) {
         )}
       </div>
 
-      <div className="flex self-center gap-4 py-4">
-        <button className="btn-primary md:hidden" onClick={toggleVisibility}>
+      <div className="md:hidden flex self-center gap-4 py-4">
+        <button className="btn-primary" onClick={toggleVisibility}>
           View projects
         </button>
-        {/* This reset button is visible on small screens */}
-        <button
-          className="btn md:hidden"
-          onClick={() => handleTagSelection(null)}
-        >
+        <button className="btn" onClick={() => handleTagSelection(null)}>
           Reset
         </button>
       </div>
diff --git a/src/components/projects/ProjectTypeDropdown.jsx b/src/components/projects/ProjectTypeDropdown.jsx
index 26b9e490..f2611214 100644
--- a/src/components/projects/ProjectTypeDropdown.jsx
+++ b/src/components/projects/ProjectTypeDropdown.jsx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const getOptionColorClasses = ({ selected, highlighted, disabled }) => {
   return classes;
 };
 
-const Option = React.forwardRef((props, ref) => {
+export const Option = React.forwardRef((props, ref) => {
   return (
     <BaseOption
       ref={ref}
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ const resolveSlotProps = (fn, args) =>
   typeof fn === "function" ? fn(args) : fn;
 
 // I added the prop "multiple" to allow for multiple selections
-const Select = React.forwardRef(function CustomSelect(props, ref) {
+export const Select = React.forwardRef(function CustomSelect(props, ref) {
   return (
     <BaseSelect
       ref={ref}
diff --git a/src/components/projects/SortMenu.jsx b/src/components/projects/SortMenu.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e061ae6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/projects/SortMenu.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { useStore } from "@nanostores/react";
+import { selectedSort, handleSortSelection } from "@stores/selectedSortStore";
+import { Select, Option } from "@components/projects/ProjectTypeDropdown";
+
+const SORT_OPTIONS = [
+  { key: "alphabetical", label: "Alphabetical (A–Z)" },
+  { key: "updated-newest", label: "Last updated (newest first)" },
+  { key: "updated-oldest", label: "Last updated (oldest first)" },
+];
+
+// Small screens: title + dropdown on one row (the "No sorting" option acts as reset).
+// md+: title + Reset button, then a list of options laid out like FilterMenu.
+export default function SortMenu() {
+  const $selectedSort = useStore(selectedSort);
+
+  return (
+    <div className="flex-1 min-w-0 flex items-center gap-2 mb-8 md:flex-none md:block md:pl-2 md:pr-6">
+      <h3 className="font-bold whitespace-nowrap md:hidden">Sort by</h3>
+      <div className="hidden md:flex items-center justify-between pb-4">
+        <h3 className="text-lg font-bold">Sort by</h3>
+        <button className="btn-reset" onClick={() => handleSortSelection("")}>
+          Reset
+        </button>
+      </div>
+
+      <div className="md:hidden flex-1 min-w-0">
+        <Select
+          slotProps={{ root: { className: "w-full whitespace-nowrap truncate pr-8" } }}
+          value={$selectedSort}
+          onChange={(_, value) => handleSortSelection(value ?? "")}
+        >
+          <Option value="" className="cursor-pointer my-1">
+            No sorting
+          </Option>
+          {SORT_OPTIONS.map(({ key, label }) => (
+            <Option key={key} value={key} className="cursor-pointer my-1">
+              {label}
+            </Option>
+          ))}
+        </Select>
+      </div>
+
+      <ul className="hidden md:flex flex-col flex-nowrap">
+        {SORT_OPTIONS.map(({ key, label }) => (
+          <li
+            key={key}
+            className="w-full flex cursor-pointer"
+            onClick={() => handleSortSelection(key)}
+          >
+            <div
+              className={`ml-2 self-start my-1 ${
+                $selectedSort === key ? "selected bg-primary" : ""
+              }`}
+            >
+              {label}
+            </div>
+          </li>
+        ))}
+      </ul>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/components/projects/ToggleFilterMenuBtn.jsx b/src/components/projects/ToggleFilterMenuBtn.jsx
index f622cdcf..199883cd 100644
--- a/src/components/projects/ToggleFilterMenuBtn.jsx
+++ b/src/components/projects/ToggleFilterMenuBtn.jsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export default function ToggleFilterMenuBtn() {
       >
         {numFilters}
       </Badge>
-      <p className="text-sm">Filter by tag</p>
+      <p className="text-sm whitespace-nowrap">Filter by tag</p>
       <TbAdjustmentsHorizontal className="w-5 h-5 inline-block" />
     </button>
   );
diff --git a/src/content.config.ts b/src/content.config.ts
index e709284a..fa08c7af 100644
--- a/src/content.config.ts
+++ b/src/content.config.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const projectsCollection = defineCollection({
     "OSSI project status": z.array(z.string()).optional(),
     "OSSI proposal link": z.string().optional(),
     "github link": z.string(),
+    "update_date": z.coerce.date().optional(),
     "documentation link": z.string(),
     "installation instructions link": z.string().optional(),
     "how to cite text": z.string().nullish(),
diff --git a/src/content/projects/_project-template.md b/src/content/projects/_project-template.md
index 70dcfe50..852fe8f7 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/_project-template.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/_project-template.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current, OSSI - alumni, Other]
 OSSI project status: [Proposed, Accepted, Active Development, Maintenance]
 OSSI proposal link: Required if your project is OSSI-funded. Preferred - upload the proposal as a PDF to `public/proposals` and provide the link in the format `../../proposals/PROPOSAL.pdf`. Other option - URL to the externally hosted proposal.
 github link: Required. Link to GitHub repository
+#update_date - Do not set this manually. It is automatically populated by a scheduled GitHub Action from the repository's most recent push date, and used to power the "Last updated" sort option.
 documentation link: Required. Link to documentation - can be the same as the GitHub repo if the README is the documentation
 installation instructions link: Required. Link to installation instructions - can be the same as the GitHub repo
 preferred contact method: "Creates the link for the 'Reach out for help' button on the project page. Encouraged if there is a preferred way for users to reach out for help other than creating an issue in the project's GitHub repo. Examples: link to Image.sc forum, or an email in the format of mailto:email@example.com."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/an-open-source-platform-for-single-molecule-localization.md b/src/content/projects/an-open-source-platform-for-single-molecule-localization.md
index bbbc8950..d8882d72 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/an-open-source-platform-for-single-molecule-localization.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/an-open-source-platform-for-single-molecule-localization.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Accepted]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/single_molecule_localization.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/TuragaLab/DECODE
+update_date: 2023-06-22
 documentation link: https://decode.readthedocs.io/
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/TuragaLab/DECODE?tab=readme-ov-file#local-installation
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01236-x
diff --git a/src/content/projects/bigstitcher-spark.md b/src/content/projects/bigstitcher-spark.md
index 3ab391ca..2987dae5 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/bigstitcher-spark.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/bigstitcher-spark.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/petascale_lightsheet.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/BigStitcher-Spark
+update_date: 2026-08-01
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/BigStitcher-Spark?tab=readme-ov-file#readme
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/BigStitcher-Spark/?tab=readme-ov-file#install
 preferred contact method: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/BigStitcher-Spark/issues
diff --git a/src/content/projects/bigstitcher.md b/src/content/projects/bigstitcher.md
index f6469cd8..3a2469fc 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/bigstitcher.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/bigstitcher.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/petascale_lightsheet.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/preibischlab/bigstitcher/
+update_date: 2026-07-03
 documentation link: https://imagej.net/plugins/bigstitcher/
 installation instructions link: https://imagej.net/plugins/bigstitcher/#download
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-019-0501-0
diff --git a/src/content/projects/bigstream.md b/src/content/projects/bigstream.md
index 81be697a..25303624 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/bigstream.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/bigstream.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ preferred contact method: mailto:fleishmang@janelia.hhmi.org
 project type: [Other]
 OSSI proposal link: ""
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/bigstream
+update_date: 2026-07-30
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/bigstream
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/bigstream
 how to cite text: "Wang Y, Eddison M, Fleishman G, Weigert M, Xu S, Wang T, Rokicki K, Goina C, Henry FE, Lemire AL, Schmidt U, Yang H, Svoboda K, Myers EW, Saalfeld S, Korff W, Sternson SM, Tillberg PW. EASI-FISH for thick tissue defines lateral hypothalamus spatio-molecular organization. Cell. 2021 Dec 22;184(26):6361-6377.e24. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.11.024. Epub 2021 Dec 6. PMID: 34875226."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/bigwarp.md b/src/content/projects/bigwarp.md
index 4ff29cad..4711903c 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/bigwarp.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/bigwarp.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Accepted]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/bigwarp.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/bigwarp
+update_date: 2026-07-29
 documentation link: https://imagej.net/plugins/bigwarp
 installation instructions link: https://imagej.net/plugins/bigwarp#installation
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISBI.2016.7493463
diff --git a/src/content/projects/catena.md b/src/content/projects/catena.md
index 4735c3fd..4d757052 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/catena.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/catena.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/catena.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/Mohinta2892/catena
+update_date: 2026-05-18
 documentation link: https://github.com/Mohinta2892/catena
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/Mohinta2892/catena
 preferred contact method: mailto:sm2667@cam.ac.uk
diff --git a/src/content/projects/cellpose.md b/src/content/projects/cellpose.md
index e12442c8..78e95e64 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/cellpose.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/cellpose.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/suite2p_and_cellpose.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/MouseLand/cellpose
+update_date: 2026-06-14
 documentation link: https://cellpose.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/MouseLand/cellpose?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-020-01018-x
diff --git a/src/content/projects/dacapo.md b/src/content/projects/dacapo.md
index 0f320f73..6b4cb50a 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/dacapo.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/dacapo.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/dacapo.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/janelia-cellmap/dacapo
+update_date: 2026-04-24
 documentation link: https://janelia-cellmap.github.io/dacapo/
 installation instructions link: https://janelia-cellmap.github.io/dacapo/install.html
 preferred contact method: mailto:rhoadesj@janelia.hhmi.org
diff --git a/src/content/projects/dvid.md b/src/content/projects/dvid.md
index 772bd3bf..ef24817e 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/dvid.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/dvid.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ tagline: A dataservice for branched versioning of a variety of data types includ
 maintainer: Bill Katz
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/janelia-flyem/dvid
+update_date: 2026-07-25
 documentation link: https://github.com/janelia-flyem/dvid/blob/master/README.md
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/janelia-flyem/dvid/blob/master/README.md#installation
 how to cite link: "https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2019.00005"
diff --git a/src/content/projects/easi-fish-pipeline.md b/src/content/projects/easi-fish-pipeline.md
index 12bf51fd..d86da330 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/easi-fish-pipeline.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/easi-fish-pipeline.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/easifish_pipeline.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/multifish
+update_date: 2026-04-15
 documentation link: https://janeliascicomp.github.io/multifish/
 installation instructions link: https://janeliascicomp.github.io/multifish/QuickStart.html
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.11.024
diff --git a/src/content/projects/entrypoints.md b/src/content/projects/entrypoints.md
index 5038400e..b57dfdc0 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/entrypoints.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/entrypoints.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Konrad Rokicki
 preferred contact method: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/entrypoints/issues
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/entrypoints
+update_date: 2021-01-03
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/entrypoints
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/entrypoints?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 how to cite link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/entrypoints
diff --git a/src/content/projects/facemap.md b/src/content/projects/facemap.md
index c7f58fa1..1f209a67 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/facemap.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/facemap.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Carsen Stringer
 #project type - Required. Pick one of the three options - delete the other two.
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/MouseLand/facemap
+update_date: 2026-01-26
 documentation link: https://facemap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html
 installation instructions link: https://facemap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/installation.html
 how to cite text: "Syeda, A., Zhong, L., Tung, R., Long, W., Pachitariu, M.*, & Stringer, C.* (2024). Facemap: a framework for modeling neural activity based on orofacial tracking. Nature Neuroscience, 27(1), 187-195."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/fileglancer.md b/src/content/projects/fileglancer.md
index 4160e4ce..788cce54 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/fileglancer.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/fileglancer.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ project type: [Other]
 # OSSI project status: [Proposed, Accepted, Active Development, Maintenance]
 # OSSI proposal link: Required if your project is OSSI-funded. Preferred - upload the proposal as a PDF to `public/proposals` and provide the link in the format `../../proposals/PROPOSAL.pdf`. Other option - URL to the externally hosted proposal.
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/fileglancer
+update_date: 2026-10-15
 documentation link: https://fileglancer-docs.janelia.org
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/fileglancer#installation
 # preferred contact method: "Creates the link for the 'Reach out for help' button on the project page. Encouraged if there is a preferred way for users to reach out for help other than creating an issue in the project's GitHub repo. Examples: link to Image.sc forum, or an email in the format of mailto:email@example.com."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/geff.md b/src/content/projects/geff.md
index 6dbb73c9..5f360d8e 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/geff.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/geff.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ project type: [Other]
 # OSSI project status: [Proposed, Accepted, Active Development, Maintenance]
 # OSSI proposal link: Required if your project is OSSI-funded. Preferred - upload the proposal as a PDF to `public/proposals` and provide the link in the format `../../proposals/PROPOSAL.pdf`. Other option - URL to the externally hosted proposal.
 github link: https://github.com/live-image-tracking-tools/geff
+update_date: 2026-07-29
 documentation link: https://liveimagetrackingtools.org/geff/latest/
 installation instructions link: https://liveimagetrackingtools.org/geff/latest/#installation
 # preferred contact method: "Creates the link for the 'Reach out for help' button on the project page. Encouraged if there is a preferred way for users to reach out for help other than creating an issue in the project's GitHub repo. Examples: link to Image.sc forum, or an email in the format of mailto:email@example.com."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/hortacloud.md b/src/content/projects/hortacloud.md
index 1722edc1..ac3b21c0 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/hortacloud.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/hortacloud.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Maintenance]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/hortacloud.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/hortacloud
+update_date: 2026-07-15
 documentation link: https://hortacloud.janelia.org/docs/
 installation instructions link: https://hortacloud.janelia.org/docs/administration/aws/
 how to cite link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/hortacloud
diff --git a/src/content/projects/kilosort.md b/src/content/projects/kilosort.md
index 72d4fff7..aa6051de 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/kilosort.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/kilosort.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/kilosort.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/MouseLand/Kilosort
+update_date: 2026-04-27
 documentation link: https://kilosort.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/MouseLand/Kilosort?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1101/061481
diff --git a/src/content/projects/maru.md b/src/content/projects/maru.md
index d1d0c9b2..75d8f141 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/maru.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/maru.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Konrad Rokicki
 preferred contact method: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/maru/issues
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/maru
+update_date: 2021-08-31
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/maru
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/maru?tab=readme-ov-file#get-maru
 how to cite link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/maru
diff --git a/src/content/projects/motile-tracker.md b/src/content/projects/motile-tracker.md
index 84bba597..1b9319b3 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/motile-tracker.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/motile-tracker.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ project type: [Other]
 # OSSI project status: [Proposed, Accepted, Active Development, Maintenance]
 # OSSI proposal link: Required if your project is OSSI-funded. Preferred - upload the proposal as a PDF to `public/proposals` and provide the link in the format `../../proposals/PROPOSAL.pdf`. Other option - URL to the externally hosted proposal.
 github link: https://github.com/funkelab/motile_tracker
+update_date: 2026-08-03
 documentation link: https://funkelab.github.io/motile_tracker/
 installation instructions link: https://funkelab.github.io/motile_tracker/getting_started.html#installation
 # preferred contact method: "Creates the link for the 'Reach out for help' button on the project page. Encouraged if there is a preferred way for users to reach out for help other than creating an issue in the project's GitHub repo. Examples: link to Image.sc forum, or an email in the format of mailto:email@example.com."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/neuronbridge.md b/src/content/projects/neuronbridge.md
index e38d8423..2f31bd28 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/neuronbridge.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/neuronbridge.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Konrad Rokicki
 preferred contact method: mailto:neuronbridge@janelia.hhmi.org
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/neuronbridge
+update_date: 2026-07-27
 documentation link: https://neuronbridge.janelia.org/help
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/neuronbridge/blob/master/docs/Development.md
 how to cite link: "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-024-05732-7"
diff --git a/src/content/projects/neuvid.md b/src/content/projects/neuvid.md
index 1b6dda0e..1bf112ed 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/neuvid.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/neuvid.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Maintenance]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/neuvid.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/connectome-neuprint/neuVid
+update_date: 2026-03-22
 documentation link: https://github.com/connectome-neuprint/neuVid/tree/master/documentation
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/connectome-neuprint/neuVid?tab=readme-ov-file#usage-with-neuprint
 how to cite text: "Philip M. Hubbard, The newVid video generation system, https://zenodo.org/records/10805089"
diff --git a/src/content/projects/nidaq.md b/src/content/projects/nidaq.md
index c38063da..36aae5e1 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/nidaq.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/nidaq.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: ben arthur
 #project type - Required. Pick one of the three options - delete the other two.
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/NIDAQ.jl
+update_date: 2026-02-08
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/NIDAQ.jl?tab=readme-ov-file#national-instruments-data-acquisition-interface
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/NIDAQ.jl?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 preferred contact method: mailto:arthurb@hhmi.org
diff --git a/src/content/projects/ossi-website.md b/src/content/projects/ossi-website.md
index c58d65f8..b64e4eb1 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/ossi-website.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/ossi-website.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/ossi_website.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/ossi-website
+update_date: 2026-03-25
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/ossi-website
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/ossi-website?tab=readme-ov-file#how-to-addedit-your-software-project
 how to cite text: Cite the current deployment
diff --git a/src/content/projects/paintera.md b/src/content/projects/paintera.md
index 31b92c79..9646a603 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/paintera.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/paintera.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/paintera.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/paintera
+update_date: 2026-07-30
 documentation link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/paintera
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/paintera?tab=readme-ov-file#installation-and-usage
 how to cite link: https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.3351562
diff --git a/src/content/projects/phase-diversity.md b/src/content/projects/phase-diversity.md
index e358bcb4..150affe5 100755
--- a/src/content/projects/phase-diversity.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/phase-diversity.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ tagline: Software for analyzing phase diversity data for adaptive optics
 maintainer: Magdalena Schneider
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/ceej640/PhaseDiversity
+update_date: 2025-02-25
 documentation link: https://github.com/ceej640/PhaseDiversity?tab=readme-ov-file#phase-diversity-wavefront-sensing-for-microscopy
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/ceej640/PhaseDiversity#Installation
 how to cite text: "Cite the corresponding paper: Johnson et al., Optica (2024)"
diff --git a/src/content/projects/rastermap.md b/src/content/projects/rastermap.md
index 444b4e95..483e3501 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/rastermap.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/rastermap.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Carsen Stringer
 #project type - Required. Pick one of the three options - delete the other two.
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/mouseland/rastermap
+update_date: 2025-04-04
 documentation link: https://github.com/mouseland/rastermap?tab=readme-ov-file#rastermap
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/mouseland/rastermap?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 # preferred contact method: "Creates the link for the 'Reach out for help' button on the project page. Encouraged if there is a preferred way for users to reach out for help other than creating an issue in the project's GitHub repo. Examples: link to Image.sc forum, or an email in the format of mailto:email@example.com."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/rs-fish.md b/src/content/projects/rs-fish.md
index 56e848de..986983e0 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/rs-fish.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/rs-fish.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Maintenance]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/spatial_transcriptomics_tools.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/PreibischLab/RS-FISH
+update_date: 2025-02-04
 additional links array: [https://github.com/PreibischLab/RS-FISH-Spark]
 documentation link: https://github.com/PreibischLab/RS-FISH
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/PreibischLab/RS-FISH?tab=readme-ov-file#download
diff --git a/src/content/projects/songexplorer.md b/src/content/projects/songexplorer.md
index 503525c3..a8681b4b 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/songexplorer.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/songexplorer.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: ben arthur
 #project type - Required. Pick one of the three options - delete the other two.
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/SongExplorer
+update_date: 2026-04-10
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/SongExplorer?tab=readme-ov-file#table-of-contents
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/SongExplorer?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 preferred contact method: mailto:arthurb@hhmi.org
diff --git a/src/content/projects/stim.md b/src/content/projects/stim.md
index 3867968c..d7895754 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/stim.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/stim.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/spatial_transcriptomics_tools.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/PreibischLab/STIM
+update_date: 2025-05-27
 documentation link: https://github.com/PreibischLab/STIM/wiki
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cels.2025.101264
 how to cite text: "S. Preibisch, N. Karaiskos, N.Rajewsky, Scalable image-based visualization and alignment of spatial transcriptomics datasets. Cell Systems, Vol. 16, No. 5 (2025)."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/stitching-spark.md b/src/content/projects/stitching-spark.md
index f2483f6f..b460b18d 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/stitching-spark.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/stitching-spark.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Accepted]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/petascale_lightsheet.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/stitching-spark
+update_date: 2023-10-17
 documentation link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/stitching-spark
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/saalfeldlab/stitching-spark?tab=readme-ov-file#usage
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau8302
diff --git a/src/content/projects/suite2p.md b/src/content/projects/suite2p.md
index 94c2a52c..dc3c7842 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/suite2p.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/suite2p.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/suite2p_and_cellpose.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/MouseLand/suite2p
+update_date: 2026-07-01
 documentation link: https://suite2p.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/MouseLand/suite2p?tab=readme-ov-file#local-installation
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.1101/061507
diff --git a/src/content/projects/traccuracy.md b/src/content/projects/traccuracy.md
index 7e73d183..e852027a 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/traccuracy.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/traccuracy.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ project type: [Other]
 # OSSI project status: [Proposed, Accepted, Active Development, Maintenance]
 # OSSI proposal link: Required if your project is OSSI-funded. Preferred - upload the proposal as a PDF to `public/proposals` and provide the link in the format `../../proposals/PROPOSAL.pdf`. Other option - URL to the externally hosted proposal.
 github link: https://github.com/live-image-tracking-tools/traccuracy
+update_date: 2026-07-27
 documentation link: https://traccuracy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
 installation instructions link: https://traccuracy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/#installation
 # preferred contact method: "Creates the link for the 'Reach out for help' button on the project page. Encouraged if there is a preferred way for users to reach out for help other than creating an issue in the project's GitHub repo. Examples: link to Image.sc forum, or an email in the format of mailto:email@example.com."
diff --git a/src/content/projects/trainspikingnet.md b/src/content/projects/trainspikingnet.md
index 8aa61911..bf34d35d 100755
--- a/src/content/projects/trainspikingnet.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/trainspikingnet.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: ben arthur
 #project type - Required. Pick one of the three options - delete the other two.
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/SpikingNetwork/TrainSpikingNet.jl
+update_date: 2024-08-29
 documentation link: https://github.com/SpikingNetwork/TrainSpikingNet.jl?tab=readme-ov-file
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/SpikingNetwork/TrainSpikingNet.jl?tab=readme-ov-file#installation
 preferred contact method: mailto:arthurb@hhmi.org
diff --git a/src/content/projects/video-annotation-library.md b/src/content/projects/video-annotation-library.md
index b76f3fe5..3255ea52 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/video-annotation-library.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/video-annotation-library.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Active Development]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/video_annotation_library.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/videoAnnotation
+update_date: 2026-07-28
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/videoAnnotation
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/videoAnnotation
 how to cite link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/videoAnnotation
diff --git a/src/content/projects/vvd-viewer.md b/src/content/projects/vvd-viewer.md
index d6b30276..29731711 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/vvd-viewer.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/vvd-viewer.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ project type: [OSSI - current]
 OSSI project status: [Maintenance]
 OSSI proposal link: ../../proposals/vvdviewer.pdf
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/VVDViewer
+update_date: 2026-07-15
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/VVDViewer/wiki
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/VVDViewer?tab=readme-ov-file#building-vvdviewer
 how to cite link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5841616
diff --git a/src/content/projects/x2s3.md b/src/content/projects/x2s3.md
index f04e340a..68d206e8 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/x2s3.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/x2s3.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Konrad Rokicki
 preferred contact method: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/x2s3/issues
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/x2s3
+update_date: 2026-07-30
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/x2s3
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/x2s3?tab=readme-ov-file#running
 how to cite link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/x2s3
diff --git a/src/content/projects/zarrcade.md b/src/content/projects/zarrcade.md
index d9e4d1c8..cc75c9c8 100644
--- a/src/content/projects/zarrcade.md
+++ b/src/content/projects/zarrcade.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ maintainer: Konrad Rokicki
 preferred contact method: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/zarrcade/issues
 project type: [Other]
 github link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/zarrcade
+update_date: 2026-07-07
 documentation link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/zarrcade
 installation instructions link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/zarrcade?tab=readme-ov-file#getting-started
 how to cite link: https://github.com/JaneliaSciComp/zarrcade
diff --git a/src/pages/projects/index.astro b/src/pages/projects/index.astro
index db0d5c88..5e83cfdb 100644
--- a/src/pages/projects/index.astro
+++ b/src/pages/projects/index.astro
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import ProjectCount from "@components/projects/ProjectCount";
 import ProjectTypeBtns from "@components/projects/ProjectTypeBtns";
 import ProjectTypeDropdown from "@components/projects/ProjectTypeDropdown";
 import SearchInput from "@components/projects/SearchInput";
+import SortMenu from "@components/projects/SortMenu";
 import Tag from "@components/projects/Tag.astro";
 import ToggleFilterMenuBtn from "@components/projects/ToggleFilterMenuBtn";
 
@@ -25,6 +26,29 @@ const allProjects = await getCollection("projects");
 // uniqueTags is an object where keys = unique tag categories, values = unique tags within a category, both across allProjects. All lowercase.
 // used to populate the filter menu
 const uniqueTags = getTagKeysAndValues(allProjects);
+
+// all project titles sorted alphabetically; used to position cards when the "Alphabetical" sort is selected
+const sortedTitles = allProjects
+  .map((content) => content.data.title)
+  .sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));
+
+// project titles sorted by update_date, oldest-to-newest; projects with no
+// known update_date are left at the end regardless of sort direction
+const undatedTitles = allProjects
+  .filter((content) => !content.data.update_date)
+  .map((content) => content.data.title);
+const titlesByUpdateDateAsc = allProjects
+  .filter((content) => content.data.update_date)
+  .sort((a, b) => a.data.update_date - b.data.update_date)
+  .map((content) => content.data.title);
+
+// maps each selectable "sort by" key to its pre-sorted array of titles;
+// consumed by CardContainer to position each card via CSS order
+const sortedTitlesMap = {
+  alphabetical: sortedTitles,
+  "updated-newest": [...titlesByUpdateDateAsc].reverse().concat(undatedTitles),
+  "updated-oldest": [...titlesByUpdateDateAsc, ...undatedTitles],
+};
 ---
 
 <BaseLayout pageTitle={pageTitle}>
@@ -41,8 +65,12 @@ const uniqueTags = getTagKeysAndValues(allProjects);
   >
     <div class="col-start-1 col-span-1">
       <SearchInput client:load />
-      <ToggleFilterMenuBtn client:only="react" />
       <FilterMenu uniqueTags={uniqueTags} client:only="react" />
+      <!-- small screens: filter button + sort select share a row; md+: unwrapped -->
+      <div class="flex items-center gap-4 md:contents">
+        <ToggleFilterMenuBtn client:only="react" />
+        <SortMenu client:only="react" />
+      </div>
     </div>
     <div class="col-start-2 col-span-2 3xl:col-span-3 4xl:col-span-4">
       <ProjectTypeBtns client:only="react" />
@@ -59,11 +87,17 @@ const uniqueTags = getTagKeysAndValues(allProjects);
         client:only="react"
       />
       <div
-        class="lg:grid grid-cols-2 3xl:grid-cols-3 4xl:grid-cols-4 auto-rows-max gap-4"
+        class="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-2 3xl:grid-cols-3 4xl:grid-cols-4 auto-rows-max gap-4"
       >
         {
           allProjects.map((content) => {
             const tagsObj = getTagKeysAndValues(content);
+            const title=content.data.title;
+            const sortOrder = {
+              alphabetical: sortedTitlesMap.alphabetical.indexOf(title),
+              "updated-newest": sortedTitlesMap["updated-newest"].indexOf(title),
+              "updated-oldest": sortedTitlesMap["updated-oldest"].indexOf(title),
+            };
             return (
               <CardContainer
                 key={content.id}
@@ -73,6 +107,7 @@ const uniqueTags = getTagKeysAndValues(allProjects);
                 projectType={content.data["project type"][0]}
                 contentType="projects"
                 maxLength={allProjects.length}
+                sortOrder={sortOrder}
                 client:only="react"
               >
                 {content.data["image file"] ? (
diff --git a/src/stores/selectedSortStore.js b/src/stores/selectedSortStore.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7fe04c97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stores/selectedSortStore.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { atom, onMount } from "nanostores";
+
+export const selectedSort = atom("");
+
+onMount(selectedSort, () => {
+  const currentSort = selectedSort.get();
+  let urlSort = "";
+  if (typeof window !== "undefined") {
+    const searchParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+    urlSort = searchParams.get("sort") || "";
+  }
+  if (currentSort === "" && urlSort !== "") {
+    selectedSort.set(urlSort);
+  }
+});
+
+function updateSortSearchParams(updatedSort) {
+  // update URL search params
+  if (typeof window !== "undefined") {
+    const currentUrl = new URL(window.location);
+    const searchParams = new URLSearchParams(currentUrl.search);
+
+    if (updatedSort) {
+      searchParams.set("sort", updatedSort);
+    } else {
+      searchParams.delete("sort");
+    }
+
+    // Use history.pushState to update the URL without reloading the page
+    window.history.pushState({}, "", `${currentUrl.pathname}?${searchParams}`);
+  }
+}
+
+export function handleSortSelection(sort) {
+  const prevSort = selectedSort.get();
+  const updatedSort = prevSort === sort ? "" : sort;
+  selectedSort.set(updatedSort);
+  updateSortSearchParams(updatedSort);
+}