THIS FUNDING REQUEST IS TO SUPPORT THE DEDICATED CONFERENCE THEME THE INTERSECTION OF AGROECOLOGY (AE) AND INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY (IE) AT THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES (ISSST) CONFERENCE, JUNE 12-15, 2023 IN FORT COLLINS CO. THE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF THIS EFFORT IS TO ADVANCE SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF METHODS APPLIED AND PERSPECTIVES HELD BY THE DISCIPLINES OF AE AND IE IN ORDER TO ANSWER CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW BIOECONOMIES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE AND ECOSYSTEM GOALS. MUCH PROGRESS HAS OCCURRED IN RECENT DECADES, AND MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN RELATED TO SCALE, VARIABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY, AND DIFFERENCES IN SOCIETAL VALUES WHEN CREATING SUSTIANBILITY METRICS TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENET OF BIOECONOMIES. THE AE/IE CONFERENCE TRACK WILL INCLUDE: HIGH PROFILE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS; TARGETED PANEL DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON CRITICAL ISSUES; MULTIPLE ORAL PRESENTATIONS ON BIOECONOMY TOPICS FROM AE AND IE; A FACILITATED WORKING SESSION; A WORKSHOP ON ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS. THROUGH AND FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE WE WILL CREATE A DOCUMENT TO SUMMARIZE THE EVENT AND OUTCOMES, AN EXTENSION DOCUMENT TO HIGHLIGHT KEY ISSUES AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, A POLICY BRIEF ABOUT KEY RESEARCH NEEDS AND ISSUES FOR DEVELOPING METRICS TO SUPPORT THE BIOECONOMY. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS WE WILL SUPPORT DIALOGUE AROUND DIFFICULT AND SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED IN ORDER TO CREATE POLICY AND INCENTIVES FOR BIOENERGY AND BIOMATERIALS SYSTEMS THAT ARE LIKELY TO REALIZE PROGRAM GOALS IN SUPPORT OF PROGRAM PRIORITY AREA BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT.