[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 245 (Thursday, December 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75425-75426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30630]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomics (IWGPG): The National 
Plant Genome Initiative--What's Next?

AGENCY: Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental 
Research, Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of Open Workshop.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a workshop organized by the Interagency 
Working Group on Plant Genomics (IWGPG).

DATES: Saturday, January 12, 2013, 1:30 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Town and Country Resort and Conference Center, 500 Hotel 
Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108 (https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxi/webprogram/Session1711.html).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Catherine Ronning, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental 
Research, SC-23-2/Germantown Building, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-1290. Phone 301-903-9549, fax (301) 903-5051, 
email: catherine.ronning@science.doe.gov; Dr. Jane Silverthorne, 
National Science Foundation, Division of Integrative Organismal 
Systems, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230. Phone (703) 
292-7171, fax (703) 292-9153, email: jsilvert@nsf.gov. The most current 
information concerning this workshop can be found on the Web site: 
https://extwiki.nsf.gov/x/DQAOAQ.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose of the Workshop: To seek input into the identification of 
strategic research needs and resource gaps for the development of 
sustainable systems for food, bioenergy, and industrial feedstock 
production, with a specific focus on the management of plant genomics 
data, metadata, and data standardization.
    Summary: The National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) was 
established in 1998 as a coordinated national research program by the 
Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes (IWGPG) under the Committee 
on Science of the National Science and Technology Council. The goal of 
the

[[Page 75426]]

NPGI is to develop a basic knowledge of the structures and functions of 
plant genomes and to translate this knowledge to a comprehensive 
understanding of all aspects of economically important plants and plant 
processes of potential economic value. By bridging basic research and 
plant performance in the field, the NPGI seeks to accelerate basic 
discovery and innovation in economically important plants and enable 
enhanced management of agriculture, natural resources, and the 
environment to meet societal needs.
    The activities of the NPGI have been coordinated through three Five 
Year Plans covering 1998-2001, 2002-2008, and 2009-2013. The IWGPG was 
re-established in November 2012 under the Life Sciences Subcommittee of 
the Committee on Science to engage the plant community in prioritizing 
genomics tools and resources, define new strategies that will meet 
community needs and priorities sustainably, advance biological 
innovation and breakthrough discovery, and improve coordination among 
Federal agencies and international plant genomics partners. This new 
working group is composed of representatives from DOE, NSF, the U.S. 
Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Smithsonian 
Institution, the U.S. Dept. of Interior (DOI), and the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH). As part of its activities, the IWGPG has 
been charged with seeking input from the broader research community, 
including the public and private sectors as well as the international 
community, towards the development of the NPGI 2014-2018 Strategic 
Plan. In this workshop consideration will be given to:
     Minimization of inputs such as water, energy, pesticides, 
and fertilizer;
     Effects of climate change and increasing agricultural 
productivity;
     Minimization of environmental impacts using plant 
genomics;
     Opportunities for Federal agency coordination, 
cooperation, public/private partnerships;
     Associated opportunities to enhance training, education, 
and public outreach.

Short presentations will be given on potential priorities as a starting 
point for discussion.
    Public Participation: The workshop is open to the public. Public 
comment will be accepted before and after the workshop through the Web 
site: https://extwiki.nsf.gov/x/DQAOAQ.
    Workshop Report: The report produced by this workshop will be 
available to the public within 60 days at the Web site: https://extwiki.nsf.gov/x/DQAOAQ.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 13, 2012.
Sharlene C. Weatherwax,
Associate Director of Science for Biological and Environmental 
Research, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-30630 Filed 12-19-12; 8:45 am]
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