**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS EXHIBIT CRITICAL GAPS, INCLUDING BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK CROPPING SYSTEMS THAT ARE SENSITIVE TO BOTH ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, FEEDSTOCK ADAPTABILITY TO DIFFERENT CLIMATIC AND EDAPHIC CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS FEEDSTOCK CROP RESISTANCE TO ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC STRESSES. MATCHING FEEDSTOCKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE CROPPING SYSTEM AND PRODUCTION REGION WILL MAXIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY PER UNIT OF LAND USED, OPTIMIZE PRODUCTION PLANNING, AND ASSURE CONSISTENCY IN FEEDSTOCK QUALITY. ALSO UNCERTAIN ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF LARGE-SCALE FEEDSTOCK PRODUCTION ON NATURAL RESOURCES, SUCH AS SOIL QUALITY, WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY, SOIL CARBON DYNAMICS AND SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL, AND BIODIVERSITY. THUS, WE ENVISION AN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH APPROACH THAT NOT ONLY IDENTIFIES BIOMASS CROPS AND ASSOCIATED GERMPLASM BUT ALSO PROPOSES A SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS CROPPING SYSTEM THAT CAN WITHSTAND MARGINAL GROWING CONDITIONS AND PROMOTE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. THIS MULTI-YEAR,MULTI-LOCATION PROJECT WILL USE A COMBINATION OF FEEDSTOCK GERMPLASM AND FIELD PRODUCTION INVESTIGATIONS TO DEVELOP A HIGH THROUGHPUT PHENOTYPING METHODOLOGY TO IDENTIFY THE BEST PERFORMING BIOPRODUCTS CROPS AS FEEDSTOCKS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BIO-BASED PRODUCTS WHILE MAXIMIZING CARBON CAPTURE AND RETENTION IN THE SOIL. THE RESULTS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL BE USED TO TRAIN GRADUATE/UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND DEVELOP LEARNING MODULES TO TRAIN NEXT GENERATION BIOECONOMY WORKFORCE. THE OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT ARE WELL-ALIGNED WITH THE USDA-NIFA-AFRI: BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY OF SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY THROUGH BIOBASED PRODUCTS BY DEVELOPING A SCALABLE BIOMASS PRODUCTION SYSTEM RESILIENT TO DROUGHT AND LOW INPUT CONDITIONS, CAPABLE TO SEQUESTER CARBON, AND PROVIDE ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS. THIS IS A NEW INVESTIGATOR STANDARD GRANT APPLICATION.