The symposium will celebrate USDA support for competitively funded research in fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The introduction of a competitive research grants program within USDA in 1978 expanded the attention to fundamental sciences in agriculture and attracted highest-quality scientists to study issues underlying agriculture.

Invited speakers include Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, National Academy of Sciences President Bruce Alberts, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Associate Director Arthur Bienenstock, former USDA chief scientists, and past recipients of USDA competitive grants.