RCN: Broadening and Energizing the Maize Genetics Research Community

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

Maize is a premier research plant model system as well as a globally important crop providing food, feed, fiber, and raw materials that sustain humankind. The international maize research community includes public and private researchers that represents a global research engine that has allowed maize to meet world-wide demands through fundamental and applied discoveries. Looking to the future, challenges and opportunities that face the community include big-data production and utilization, development of technologies that will support continued research success, increasing the breadth and interdisciplinary interactions of the community to envision and synergize new discovery, and ensuring translation of discoveries to growers and consumers. These challenges and opportunities will be met by recruiting and equipping a diverse scientific community, and through identification and advocacy for resources that allow this vibrant community to develop needed technologies and to continue its history of excellence in fundamental and applied research. This Research Coordination Network (RCN) will support planning to accelerate research into the next decade, will create opportunities for synergistic interactions, and will allow deliberate community-building efforts to grow the scientific and categorical diversity of the U.S. maize research community. This project was co-funded by the Plant Genome Research Program in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems and the Genetic Mechanisms Program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. The goal of this Research Coordination Network is to accelerate maize research into the next decade by systematic planning and prioritization activities, and by encouraging community growth and synergistic interaction. Community input has identified four areas meriting specific attention by the RCN: development of novel functional genomic technologies, big data acquisition and utilization, discovery to product, and importantly, recruiting and training the next generation of researchers. These topics will be addressed by targeted focus group meetings that will produce white papers of value to all stakeholders. Information will be gathered at the annual Maize Genetics Conference and through pre-conference surveys which will then be broadly communicated to the community members at the conference and as online resources. Finally, the RCN will also seek new ways to broaden the community by active recruitment of scientists from underrepresented groups of all types and by expanding the disciplinary breadth of the maize research community. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.