**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE 2024 HYDROCHAR AND BIOCHAR CONFERENCE AT THE SOUTH DAKOTA MINES (SDM) LOCATED IN RAPID CITY, SD AIMS TO BRING TOGETHER RESEARCHERS, EXTENSION SPECIALISTS, AND EDUCATORS INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF CHAR-BASED SOIL AMENDMENT PRODUCTS PREPARED BY THE NEXT-GENERATION THERMOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES. THE CONFERENCE WILL ADDRESS THE SOIL HEALTH SUBJECT MATTER AREA OF THE BNRE. THE PD/CO-PD ARE INTERESTED IN CREATING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO GENERATE INTEREST IN THE NEWER THERMOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION AND CUSTOMIZATION OF HYDROCHAR AND BIOCHAR PRODUCTS FOR SOIL HEALTH. AT THE SOUTH DAKOTA MINES (SDM) LOCATED IN RAPID CITY, SD THE LEAD PD AND CO-PD HAVE WORKED ON THERMOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR OVER A DECADE AND HAVE BUILT A PILOT-SCALE HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION REACTOR THAT PRODUCES HYDROCHAR AS ONE OF THE CO- PRODUCTS. THE PILOT SCALE HAS SPURRED INTEREST IN EXPLORING LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF THE HYDROCHAR PRODUCT. IN PARALLEL, THE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY (SDSU) LOCATED IN BROOKINGS, SD IS ONE OF THE LEADING INSTITUTIONS RESEARCHING BIOCHAR FOR SOIL APPLICATION. THE SDSU HAS BEEN A LONG-TIME COLLABORATOR OF SDM. SPECIFICALLY, THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING AT THE SDSU, AND THE SOUTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION HAVE HELPED SDM BY PROVIDING RESOURCES SUCH AS GREENHOUSE SPACE AND FIELD STUDIES. WE ANTICIPATE A TOTAL OF 75 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING ACADEMIA, INDUSTRIES, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND END USERS OF CHAR PRODUCTS. THE CONFERENCE OUTCOMES WILL BE I) DISCUSSION AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE KEY TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO HYDROCHAR AND BIOCHAR FOR SOIL HEALTH APPLICATION, II) EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ON CUSTOMIZATION OF HYDROCHAR AND BIOCHAR FOR SOIL AMENDMENT III) CREATE A NETWORK BETWEEN ACADEMICIANS, AGRIBUSINESSES, AND END USERS TO DEVELOP A TECHNO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF INDUSTRIAL SCALE CHAR PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND APPLICATION, IV) CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO LEARN ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION THERMOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND CHAR PRODUCTS FOR SOIL HEALTH V) POINTS OF VIEW FROM END USERS SUCH AS FARMERS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH. A REPORT DETAILING THESE OUTCOMES WILL BE SHARED WITH THE USDA-NIFA.