HUMANITY FACES THE CHALLENGE OF MEETING RISING DEMANDS FOR AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, AND THIS CHALLENGE IS AMPLIFIED BY INCREASING PRESSURE FROM CLIMATIC AND ATMOSPHERIC CHANGES ON ECOSYSTEMS. THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES IS HOME TO THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL REGION ON THE PLANET, AND COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITHIN THIS REGION ARE TRAINING GROUNDS FOR THE CURRENT AND NEXT GENERATION OF PLANT SCIENTISTS WHO WILL DEVOTE THEIR CAREERS TO IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY. WE SEEK A STRENGTHENING CONFERENCE GRANT ($15,000) TO ASSIST WITH THE ASPB 2020 MIDWESTERN SECTION MEETING, TO BE HELD MARCH 21-22, 2020 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN (UIUC). THIS MEETING PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF ONGOING PLANT BIOLOGY RESEARCH WHILE CREATING A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR TRAINING AND MENTORING OF EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS (ECRS) INCLUDING UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATES. TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS, ALL PARTICIPATING ECRS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THEIR RESEARCH AS ORAL OR POSTER PRESENTATIONS. THE MEETING WILL CONSIST OF A COMBINATION OF INVITED KEYNOTE AND FEATURED SPEAKERS, ORAL PRESENTATIONS, MULTIPLE POSTER SESSIONS, AND A DIVERSITY/INCLUSIVITY PANEL WHICH WILL ALSO INCLUDE A FEATURED SPEAKER. THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE IN ONE FACILITY TO MAXIMIZE INTERACTION AMONG ALL PARTICIPANTS. IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THIS USDA-NIFA STRENGTHENING CONFERENCE GRANT UNDER PROGRAM AREA: PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS; PHYSIOLOGY OF AGRICULTURAL PLANTS (PROGRAM CODE A1152), THE MEETING HAS ALSO RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL PARENT ORGANIZATION (THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PLANT BIOLOGISTS), DIFFERENT GROUPS WITHIN THE HOST UNIVERSITY (UIUC), AND SEVERAL CORPORATE SPONSORS.