Advocating for Increased USDA Agricultural Research Service Funding

Amid a quickly changing research funding landscape in the United States, ASPB continues to be a vocal and engaged advocate for federal funding that supports plant scientists. The Society recently joined academic, agriculture, and food stakeholder groups in a letter to House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Members recognizing their past support of the US … Read more

ASPB Supports Funding for USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

As budget development continues, ASPB recently joined with other research institutions, scientific societies, and agricultural stakeholders in a letter to House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Members requesting “no less than $500 million for the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in Fiscal Year 2026.” As a key grant program of the US Department … Read more

ASPB Calls for Support of NPGS

ASPB and 93 other organizations recently sent a letter to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials in support of for the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS), a program managed by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) focused on conserving and distributing plant genetic resources. The NGPS maintains a diverse collection of plant germplasm, including … Read more

ASPB Joins Call to Protect the Future of Science

ASPB joined the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and 47 other scientific organizations in a letter to members of Congress demanding that they protect federally funded scientific research and federal scientists. The letter asks Congress to “take immediate action to protect and restore life-saving and essential scientific research that benefits American families and communities.” The … Read more

Plant Physiology is Searching for its Next Editor-in-Chief

After taking the helm of Plant Physiology 2022, Yunde Zhao’s celebrated term as Editor-in-Chief of the journal, during which he introduced changes that saw the journal flourish, will come to a close on December 31, 2026. The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is seeking a prominent plant scientist to assume the duties and responsibilities … Read more