The Student Organic Seed Symposium (SOSS) is an annual event organized by and for graduate students across the country who are interested in organic plant breeding and sustainable agricultural systems. SOSS informs, connects, and empowers graduate students to pursue plant breeding from an organic perspective in an academic environment often dominated by conventional and biotechnological approaches to plant breeding. Entering its seventh year, this year’s symposium will be held in Corvallis, Oregon, on the Oregon State University campus from July 26-29th, 2018. This year’s theme is “Grassroots Plant Breeding,” highlighting the contributions of small-scale breeders to the organic seed industry.
To foster networking and interdisciplinary collaborations across the organic agricultural community, the event will bring together graduate students, academic and public sector plant breeders, vegetable and seed farmers, agroecologists, distributors, chefs, and policy experts. The symposium will offer a series of intensive lectures, field trips, and student breeding trials. By allowing time for informal conversation among the small group of symposium participants, the event encourages collaboration, brainstorming, and networking.
Learn more about being a student participant this year by clicking on the video below or visiting SOSS’s website. And if you’re ready to register, fill out this short application.
Applications are due March 1, 2018, and students will be notified of acceptance by March 15, 2018. Registration fees for accepted individuals include food and lodging during the event and typically range from $200 – $400, depending on the housing plan selected. Scholarships to help pay for travel and registration fees may be available in cases of financial need.
Questions? Email the organizers by clicking here.
