THIS PROPOSAL REQUESTS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE NAPB CONFERENCE IN JULY 2023 HOSTED BY CLEMSON UNIVERSITY. THE CONFERENCE WILL INCLUDE SESSIONS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE STRATEGIC PLANS AND GOALS OF BOTH NAPB AND THE PLANT BREEDING COORDINATING COMMITTEE (PBCC), AS WELL AS COMMUNITY NEEDS, CHALLENGES, GAPS, AND EMERGING AREAS OF PLANT BREEDING RESEARCH. THE NAPB 2023 CONFERENCE WILL INCLUDE PRESENTATIONS RELATED TO THE PLANT BREEDING INNOVATIONS DIRECTLY ADDRESSING THE PBCC OBJECTIVE 4, IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AMONG PUBLIC PLANT BREEDERS AND FEDERAL-STATE-LOCAL AGENCIES ON PLANT BREEDING POLICY ISSUES, INCLUDING ALERTS TO EXISTING AND EMERGING THREATS TO AGRICULTURAL SECURITY THAT ARE RELEVANT TO PLANT BREEDING, AND GOAL 1 OF THE CURRENT USDA STRATEGIC PLAN: COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE TO SUPPORT AMERICA'S WORKING LANDS, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND COMMUNITIES. OUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS GRADUATE STUDENTS IN PLANT SCIENCES AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES, PLANT BREEDERS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SECTORS, AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS CONSIDERING CAREERS IN PLANT BREEDING AND RELATED AREAS. IN DEVELOPING OUR PROGRAM, WE WILL BALANCE SPEAKING SLOTS TO ENSURE EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS. THE NAPB MEETING OFFERS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE RESULTS AND IDEAS TO ADDRESS SHARED AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGES BY THE NATION'S TOP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLANT BREEDERS. BY STRUCTURING A PORTION OF THE SESSIONS TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO SHARED OBJECTIVES IN THE PBCC, NAPB, AND USDA STRATEGIC PLANS, WE FACILITATE BROADER PARTICIPATION AND INPUT BY THE MEMBERSHIP AND ENHANCE PROGRESS TOWARD OUR GOALS OVER TIME.