Boyce Thompson Institute - Plant Science Research Network Launches |

"To further their goals of promoting innovative research and collaboration within the greater plant science community, the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) and the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) are pleased to announce the formation of the Plant Science Research Network (PSRN). Founding members include the American Society of Plant Biologists, the Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies, the American Phytopathological Society, the American Society for Horticultural Science, the Botanical Society of America, the Genetics Society of America and the Council on Undergraduate Research. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded BTI President David Stern and ASPB Executive Director Crispin Taylor $730,000 in support for five years to realize the full potential of plants through the advancement of research and education. The PSRN builds on the success of the Decadal Vision report, Unleashing a Decade of Innovation in Plant Science: A vision for 2015-2025, the culmination of a multiyear effort to unite a broad spectrum of plant scientists around a scientific agenda. The Research Coordination Network (RCN) award from the NSF will provide support for new collaborations, especially related to the development of community-wide standards for exchanging data and metadata. The objectives of the PSRN are to harness the collective vision and broad expertise of the plant science research community to support agricultural sustainability and growth of the bioeconomy, in an era where population growth and environmental pressures require careful stewardship of natural resources ..."