A Call for Investing in USDA’s Agricultural Research Service

ASPB, together with a coalition of 56 other scientific societies, academic institutions, and industry partners, recently sent a letter to to House and Senate Appropriations leaders to emphasize the critical role of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and request necessary funding to keep ARS running. In the letter, the coalition requests … Read more

Supporting Bold Innovation in Agricultural Research: Why AGARDA Funding Matters

As Congress begins work on the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations process, ASPB joined a broad coalition of scientific societies, research institutions, and agricultural stakeholders in calling for increased investment in the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). In a joint letter to House and Senate Appropriations leaders, the coalition urges lawmakers to provide at … Read more

ASPB Advocates Against Relocation of USDA Biotechnology Regulatory Services

Earlier this summer, the US Department of Agriculture announced reorganization plans that included relocating the majority of its staff to regional hubs around the country. Included in the relocation would be the USDA Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS), a program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), that ensures the safety of organisms developed … Read more

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