Funding of agricultural research by non-USDA federal agencies grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, and briefly surpassed extramural research funding by the USDA, before dropping sharply after 2007 (Figure 7.11). Research coordinating bodies are often established around key federal research priorities, such as the special initiatives presented in Box 7.2. To develop and exploit fundamental advances in biological sciences for plant genomics, in 1997 the NSTC formed an Inter-Agency Working Group on Plant Genomics (IWGPG). With representatives from the USDA, NSF, DHHS, DOE, USAID, other federal offices, and inputs from stakeholder groups, the IWGPG has developed a series of five-year plans and reported on the achievements of the National Plant Genome Initiative. The plan outlines the priority areas for investing federal resources and describes the commitments of each agency toward these priorities. The USDA has major responsibilities for the conservation and characterisation of crop genetic resources and broadening biodiversity in advanced breeding material for use in commercial breeding programmes.