The demand for agricultural products continues to grow even as climate change exacerbates the already challenging issues of soil loss, pest and pathogen damage, and land and water availability. The United States must invest in the scientific research and human resources needed to develop and scale-up new, innovative, and environmentally friendly agricultural methods and technologies to meet global demands.

In the coming months, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is planning to highlight both the progress made to date, and new commitments to advance research and education in food and agriculture by expanding the participation of students from all backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and by supporting scientific inquiry. These commitments might include:

• Support for graduate or postdoctoral fellowships, or for endowed positions, to expand and strengthen integrated food-systems research, plant-breeding training programs, and the study of animal sciences.
• Partnerships between companies and professional societies that create effective pathways for research and education in food and agriculture by, for example, supporting internships, fellowships, and grants.
• Programs that recruit from populations presently underrepresented in agricultural research and education.
• Research courses in colleges and universities that introduce first- and second-year students to agricultural disciplines, and help students recognize these disciplines as modern, remunerative, scientific, and technology-driven.
• New training programs to help primary- and secondary-school teachers of all disciplines integrate agricultural topics into their teaching, and to familiarize these teachers with career opportunities in food and agriculture so that they can provide sound advice to students.

As a first step, we request you fill out the information below by March 1, 2016. (Deadline extended from February 1).

If applicable, your announcement may be incorporated into White House materials in the coming months and your organization and relevant partners may be invited to participate in upcoming White House events on this topic. Examples of prior White House materials on Astronomy Night and the 2015 White House Science Fair may serve as templates for your submissions.

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