FUNDS ARE REQUESTED TO PROVIDE A BASE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR ATTENDEES FROM THE UNITED STATES FOR MEDVETPATHOGENS 2020. THIS CONFERENCE IS DEDICATED TO INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON BACTERIAL PATHOGENS OF ANIMALS, INCLUDING BACTERIAL PATHOGENS THAT INFECT ANIMALS AND HUMANS. THIS IS THE 6TH CONFERENCE ON THIS TOPIC (PREVIOUS CONFERENCES PRIOR TO 2018 WERE NAMED VETPATH). THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE MONASH UNIVERSITY PRATO CENTRE, PRATO, ITALY FROM OCTOBER 12-15, 2020. THE FOCUS OF THE CONFERENCE WILL BE TO BRING TOGETHER INVESTIGATORS STUDYING FOOD ANIMAL AND ZOONOTIC PATHOGENS, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO PATHOGENESIS, EVOLUTION, AND CONTROL RELATED TO FOOD ANIMAL DISEASES. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A VARIETY OF CONFERENCES ON MICROBIOLOGY OR VETERINARY MEDICINE, THIS IS THE ONLY CONFERENCE THAT IS DEDICATED TO BASIC SCIENCE TOWARD UNDERSTANDING THE MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS, HOST RESPONSE, AND MICROBIOLOGY OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS OF ANIMALS. THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE HAS PUT TOGETHER A CONFERENCE THAT INCLUDES INVITED RESEARCHERS WHO ARE LEADERS IN THEIR FIELDS AND USE DIVERSE APPROACHES TO ADDRESS CURRENT RESEARCH PROBLEMS FACING, IN PARTICULAR, FOOD AND FIBER ANIMALS.