MICROBIOME CHANGE IS A CRITICAL DRIVER OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL FLUXES, AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND HUMAN HEALTH. AROUND THE GLOBE, MICROBIOMES ARE CHANGING DUE TO NATURAL AND HUMAN-DRIVEN PROCESSES. MICROBIOMES ARE ALSO A RESOURCE, AND TARGETED MICROBIOME MODIFICATIONS CAN DRIVE DESIRABLE FUNCTIONAL OUTPUTS IN NATURAL AND MANAGED SYSTEMS. THE FIRST MICROBIOME SYMPOSIUM AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 31 TO JUNE 3, 2022, AT THE UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS. THE CHANGING MICROBIOMES SYMPOSIUM WILL BRING TOGETHER LEADING RESEARCHERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE TRANSITION TO FUNCTIONAL AND PROCESS-DRIVEN MICROBIOME RESEARCH. PARTICIPANTS WILL SHARE OBSERVATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INSIGHTS AND THE TECHNICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ADVANCES THAT ENABLE THOSE INSIGHTS. BECAUSE THESE METHODS TRANSCEND SYSTEMS, THE SYMPOSIUM WILL SPAN TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC CONTEXTS AND HOST-ASSOCIATED AND FREE-LIVING MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES. SUPPORT FROM NIFA WILL INCREASE CONFERENCE ACCESSIBILITY ANDDIVERSITY BY REDUCING OVERALL REGISTRATION FEES, FUNDING TRAVEL OF A SUBSET OF SPEAKERS AND PARTICIPANTS, AND SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NETWORKING EVENTS. THESE ACTIVITIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MICROBIOME RESEARCHERS. IN ADDITION,THE SYMPOSIUM WILL STIMULATE NEW RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS, INSPIRE PAPERS CUTTING ACROSS DISCIPLINES, AND SPEED THE ADOPTION OF CUTTING-EDGE TOOLS INTO AGRICULTURAL AND TRANSLATIONAL CONTEXTS. LASTLY,THE SYMPOSIUM WILLBECOME A BIENNIAL EVENT CREATING AN ONGOING, SUPPORTIVE, DIVERSE, INTIMATE ENVIRONMENT FOR MICROBIOME RESEARCHERS AT ALL CAREER STAGES TO CONNECT.