Washington on Pause: Funding, Fallout, and What’s Next

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

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

ASPB President’s Update: Advocacy—It’s Never Been More Important to Keep Sharing What it Means to do Plant Science

Advocate: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy   Science Needs Advocates!  Now more than ever we each need to determine why, when, where, and how to share our experience and enthusiasm for science. ASPB is here to help you in being a science advocate. This post will highlight a … 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 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