February  4,  2016    Dr.  JoAnn  Lighty  Dr.  Tom  Torgersen,    FEW  Working  Group  Co-­‐Chairs  National  Science  Foundation  4201  Wilson  Boulevard  Arlington,  VA  22230    Dear  Drs.  Lighty  and  Dr.  Torgersen:    The  Agronomy,  Crop  Science  and  Soil  Science  Societies  are  pleased  to  see  the  recent  NSF  Innovations  at  the  Nexus  of  Food,  Energy  and  Water  Systems    (INFEWS)  $50  million  funding  opportunity.  We  look  forward  to  the  multiple  and  diverse  funding  opportunities  the  INFEWS  program  will  offer,  which  reflect  the  input  you  have  sought  from  multiple  workshops  and  research  community  stakeholders.        In  the  fall  of  2015,  the  Societies  put  out  a  call  for  white  papers  to  help  inform  NSF  INFEWS  program  leaders  of  critical  interdisciplinary  research  needs  that  could  advance  our  understanding  of  the  global  challenges  of  balancing  food  security  for  an  increasing  population  with  food  security  and  natural  resource  conservation.  Scientists  from  each  of  the  Societies’  Science  Policy  Committees  completed  their  review  of  the  white  papers  in  early  2016  and  have  compiled  an  executive  summary  that  represents  the  consensus  of  ideas  reported  in  the  white  papers  titled,  “The  Food-­‐Energy-­‐Water  Nexus  in  Agronomy,  Crop  and  Soil  Sciences,”  (see  attached).  The  white  papers  will  also  be  available  on  a  public  online  forum  where  they  can  be  downloaded  and  viewed  freely.  The  forum  will  remain  open  and  we  have  encouraged  our  scientists  to  continue  to  submit  new  white  papers  as  they  develop  new  ideas  and  opportunities  about  the  food-­‐energy-­‐water  nexus.      We  appreciate  your  leadership  on  the  INFEWS  program  and  your  readiness  to  seek  more  information  about  fundamental  research  opportunities  at  the  nexus  of  food-­‐energy-­‐water  as  defined  by  the  research  community.    Sincerely,  

 Paul  E.  Fixen  ASA  President      

 Michael  A.Grusak  

CSSA  President    

 Harold  M.  van  Es  SSSA  President    Cc:    David  Corman,  Directorate  for  Computer  &  Information  Science  &  Engineering,  dcorman@nsf.gov  Alan  Tessier,  Directorate  for  Biological  Sciences,  atessier@nsf.gov  Carol  Bessel,  Directorate  for  Mathematical  &  Physical  Sciences,  telephone,  cbessel@nsf.gov  Robert  O'Connor,  Directorate  for  Social,  Behavioral  &  Economic  Sciences,  roconnor@nsf.gov  David  Campbell,  Directorate  for  Education  &  Human  Resources,  dcampbel@nsf.gov  Lara  Campbell,  Office  of  International  Science  and  Engineering,lcampbel@nsf.gov  Audrey  Levine,  Office  of  Integrative  Activities,  alevine@nsf.gov  Rachel  Melnick,  USDA/NIFA,  rmelnick@nifa.usda.gov  Bruce  Hamilton,  Directorate  for  Engineering,  bhamilto@nsf.gov  Patrick  Harr,  Directorate  for  Geosciences,  pharr@nsf.gov