**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP WILL INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL OF AGRONOMIC MANAGEMENTTO ENHANCE SOIL ORGANIC MATTER (SOM) ACCRUAL FROM COVER CROPS. COVER CROPS ARE ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING TOOLS TO ADAPT TO AND POTENTIALLY MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE, ANDCHANGES IN MANAGEMENTMAY ENHANCE THEIR IMPACTS. EMERGING RESEARCH HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE OF PLANT ROOTSAND MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY ASDRIVERS OF SOM ACCRUAL. THIS PROJECT WILL STUDY THEEFFECTS OF COVER CROP SOWING DENSITY, GRASS-LEGUME PROPORTION, AND TERMINATION TIME ON ROOT BIOMASSAND MICROBIALPHYSIOLOGY, I.E.CARBON USE EFFICIENCY (CUE). INFORMED BY PLANT ECOLOGICAL THEORY, RECENT ADVANCES IN THE SCIENCE OF SOM, AND EMERGING MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, THESE SIMPLE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE READY-TO-IMPLEMENT AND HOLD TREMENDOUS PROMISE IN THE SHORT-TERM. IN ADDITION TO THE APPLIED NATURE OF THE RESEARCH AND OBVIOUS MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS, THE RESEARCH WILL ADVANCE THE FIELD OF SOIL MICROBIAL ECOLOGY BY PROVIDING MUCH-NEEDED EVIDENCE FOR WHAT DRIVES CUE IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS. THE FELLOWSHIP WILL IMPROVE THE RESEARCH, DESIGN AND ANALYSIS, AND POLICY OUTREACH SKILLS OF THE PD IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN AN INDEPENDENT LABORATORY AT A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY. THIS APPLICATION ADDRESSES THE AFRI PROGRAM AREAS OF BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENT, AND PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS AND THE US SCIENCE BLUEPRINT PRIORITIES OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INTENSIFICATION, AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION, AND AGRICULTURE SCIENCE POLICY LEADERSHIP.