Ed Kaleikau, Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes

The National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) was established in 1998 as a coordinated national plant genome project. Currently DOE, NIH, NSF, USAID, USDA/ARS, USDA/CSREES, and USFS participate in the NPGI. The NPGI is governed by the Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes (IWG-PG) under the auspices of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science.

A committee under the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies has conducted a study of the past achievements and potential future directions of the NPGI. This NRC study was commissioned by the IWG-PG and funded jointly by the participating agencies. The IWG-PG asked the NRC study committee to review accomplishments of the activities supported under the auspices of NPGI, to assess the overall contributions of NPGI to science, research infrastructure, education and training, and international research collaboration, and to recommend future directions for plant genome research in the US. The report of the NRC study committee will be among several factors that will help shape future directions and support for plant genome research at each of the participating agencies, including plant genome grant programs at DOE, NSF, and USDA. The NRC committee has completed its study and produced a report.

The chair and/or members from the NRC committee will present a summary of the key findings in the report (about 1 hour). This presentation will be followed by a Q&A and discussion session led by IWG-PG co-chairs, Dr. James P. Collins (NSF) and Dr. Judith St. John (USDA /ARS), as well as other IWG-PG members. All attendees are welcome to participate.

This page last updated Sunday, 25-Nov-2007 07:47:17 EST