Strengthening U.S. Leadership in Plant Science The NSF Plant Biology Act (H.R.7949), introduced by Rep. Josh Riley (D-NY-19) and Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN-4), is bipartisan legislation to strengthen the National Science Foundation’s investments in plant and microbial research. The bill would amend the NSF Authorization Act of 2002 to establish a dedicated funding initiative … Read more
By Elizabeth Stulberg, Lewis-Burke Associates At the beginning of the new fiscal year, Wednesday, October 1, with no new funding bills or continuing resolution passed by Congress, many agencies within the federal government suspended their services. This is known as a government shutdown. It will end when Congress passes funding bills that reopen the currently-shuttered … Read more
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
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
Since President Donald Trump took office on January 2025, a series of executive actions have shaken the research community. Several executive orders were released that targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and climate initiatives and that direct agencies to generate lists of existing grants supporting these activities. Furthermore, on January 27, the Office of Management … Read more