Recipient Organization
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT BIOLOGISTS
15501 MONONA DRIVE
ROCKVILLE,MD 20855-2768
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) will host a Plant Science Research Summit to engage the broad plant science research community in a process that will develop a consensus plan to invigorate and guide plant science research over the next decade. The summit?s main goal is to bring together representatives of the full spectrum of plant science research, from basic to applied, to identify critical gaps in our understanding of plant biology that must be filled over the next 10 years or more in order to positively impact grand challenges in areas such as health, energy, food, and environmental sustainability. The consensus plan that will be developed will help the entire community to coordinate research objectives across different public and private funding agencies, sectors, and corporations; this unified voice would be persuasive and compelling. Although ASPB will be the host and organizer of the summit, we will work with a broad coalition of plant?focused organizations throughout the activity. The primary product of the Plant Science Research Summit will be a high quality report that will suggest a decadal plan for investments in plant science research, describing the contributions of plant science to addressing important scientific priorities and vital societal challenges. The report will be available in both electronic form and hard copy, and we will send hard copies of the report to key leaders in plant science and related areas. Moreover, several dissemination activities are planned so that the consensus research priorities identified in the report can be brought to the larger community of scientists and policymakers.
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
20%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) will host a Plant Science Research Summit to engage the broad plant science research community in a process that will develop a consensus plan to invigorate and guide plant science research over the next decade. The summit's main goal is to bring together representatives of the full spectrum of plant science research, from basic to applied, to identify critical gaps in our understanding of plant biology that must be filled over the next 10 years or more in order to positively impact grand challenges in areas such as health, energy, food, and environmental sustainability. The consensus plan that will be developed will help the entire community to coordinate research objectives across different public and private funding agencies, sectors, and corporations; this unified voice would be persuasive and compelling. Although ASPB will be the host and organizer of the summit, we will work with a broad coalition of plant-focused organizations throughout the activity. The primary product of the Plant Science Research Summit will be a high quality report that will suggest a decadal plan for investments in plant science research, describing the contributions of plant science to addressing important scientific priorities and vital societal challenges. The report will be available in both electronic form and hard copy, and we will send hard copies of the report to key leaders in plant science and related areas. Moreover, several dissemination activities are planned so that the consensus research priorities identified in the report can be brought to the larger community of scientists and policymakers.
Project Methods
To ensure a productive discussion and to help hold down costs, participation in the summit will be limited to approximately 80 invited participants. The invitation list is being developed in close coordination with organizations and individuals throughout the plant science communities, including academic institutions and research institutes, the agriculture and science industries, professional societies, public funding agencies, private sponsors of research, and others. The intention is to be an inclusive as possible, while ensuring a productive and cost-effective activity. Representatives of the federal and private sponsors of plant science research will also be welcome as observers. The program will consist of a few invited speakers to provide background information and perspective and to stimulate discussion. However, the real business of the summit will take place in breakout groups so that the outcome will represent the broad perspectives among the participants. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has generously agreed to host the meeting at their Chevy Chase, Maryland, conference facility, offering a significant in kind contribution. The Summit will take place on September 22-23, 2011. The workshop will generate a high quality written report that will be circulated widely to inform the science, policy, and funding processes. Audiences will include federal, state, and private funding agencies; key policy makers; and the members and leaders of the various academic, research, industrial, and scientific communities with an interest in plant science. The report will serve as a guide for these various organizations as they define their own specific research agendas. It will be important for a large group of scientists, policymakers, and organizations to learn about the report once it has been completed. To that end, ASPB plans to incorporate a number of activities to publicize the report and its key themes in a variety of venues. We have submitted a proposal for a session at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Canada, that will highlight the contributions and opportunities of plant science as well as sessions at other key scientific meetings such as ASPB's 2012 annual meeting (Austin, Texas) and meetings of other relevant professional societies.