**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CAROTENOIDS ARE PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS, PROVITAMIN COMPOUNDS, AND DIETARY ANTIOXIDANTS. THERE IS AN IMPERATIVE NEED FOR TIMELY UPDATES AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE ADVANCEMENTS AT THE FOREFRONT OF CAROTENOID RESEARCH TO HELP ADDRESS VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY PROBLEM AND AN INCREASED PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC DISEASES WORLDWIDE. THE 2025 GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE (GRC) ON CAROTENOIDS ALONG WITH THE GORDON RESEARCH SEMINAR (GRS) ON CAROTENOIDS AIMS TO ADVANCE CAROTENOID BIOLOGY. THE CONFERENCE WILL BRING TOGETHER CAROTENOID RESEARCHERS FROM DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES AROUND THE WORLD FOR CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES AND IDEAS, PROMOTES ONGOING RESEARCH SHARING AND NEW COLLABORATIONS FOR DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION, AND FOSTERS THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF JUNIOR SCIENTISTS. IT WILL SHOWCASE THE CUTTING-EDGE AND MOST RECENT UNPUBLISHED DISCOVERIES. THIS WILL HELP IDENTIFY EMERGING RESEARCH TOPICS IN CAROTENOID BIOSYNTHESIS IN PLANTS, FACILITATE THE TRANSLATION OF BASIC KNOWLEDGE INTO CROP NUTRITIONAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ALONG WITH PRODUCTION, AND POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTE TO U.S. AGRICULTURE AS WELL AS GLOBAL FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY. THE 2025 GRC ON CAROTENOIDS ALIGNS WITH THE AFRI PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY OF FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF PLANT PRODUCTS (A1103) IN THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF PLANT-DERIVED, HIGH-VALUE BIOMOLECULES FOR USE IN FOODS, PHARMACEUTICALS, AND OTHER PRODUCTS.