**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IN THE 1970'S, GLOBAL PREVALENCE OF BOVINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS (BLV) WAS APPROXIMATELY 10%, AT WHICH POINT MORE THAN 20 NATIONS REMOVED ALL BLV-POSITIVE CATTLE TO ELIMINATE THE DISEASE. NATIONS THAT IGNORED BLV, NOW HAVE INCREASED BLV PREVALENCE; THE DETRIMENT OF BLV IS BECOMING APPARENT AND OF CONCERN. BLV-INFECTED CATTLE SUFFER LIFELONG INFECTIONS WITH A DISRUPTED IMMUNE SYSTEM. RECENTLY, RESEARCH HAS ASSOCIATED BLV-INFECTED DAIRY CATTLE AS HAVING REDUCED MILK PRODUCTION, SHORTENED LIFESPAN, REDUCED VACCINE EFFICIENCY, DECREASED HEAT TOLERANCE, AND OVERALL DECREASED ANIMAL WELFARE. RESEARCH IN THE BEEF INDUSTRY IS LACKING; HOWEVER INCREASING. IN MOST SEVERE CASES, LYMPHOMA AND TUMOR GROWTH WILL OCCUR, LEADING TO CONDEMNATION AT HARVESTING OR PREMATURE DEATH. ADVANCEMENTS IN BLV RESEARCH, DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS AND LABORATORY ASSAYS COUPLED WITH AN INCREASING CONCERN OF BLV PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO ADVANCE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES FOCUSED ON BLV. AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR DISCUSSION AND LEARNING AMONG RESEARCHERS, EXTENSION EXPERTS, PRODUCERS, AND VETERINARIANS IS VITAL FOR OPTIMAL ADVANCEMENTS IN BLV SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH PROGRAMS WORLDWIDE. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL AID THE FUTURE OF COLLABORATIVE BLV PROGRAMS AMONG DIVERSE TEAMS. THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE AIMS TO (1) STIMULATE INTEREST AND SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT BLV BY INCORPORATING DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS; (2) FOSTER NEW COLLABORATIONS, AWARENESS, AND KNOWLEDGE SURROUNDING BLV; (3) BUILD A FRAMEWORK OF WELCOMING OPEN DISCUSSIONS FOR CONFERENCE SUSTAINABILITY AND DECREASE BLV PREVALENCE GLOBALLY. OUR TEAM STRIVES TO POSITION ITSELF AS A LEADER IN BLV AND PROVIDE FOR THE FIRST CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON BLV TO BE HELD IN THE USA.