Leadership
&
Ambassador Network
Earth Precision Agriculture
A community of emerging leaders shaping the future of precision agriculture and the future of EPA itself. Shape the Summit. Represent your field. Build a network that lasts.
About the Network
More Than Attendees. Architects of EPA 2026.
The EPA Leadership and Ambassador Network is a first-of-its-kind initiative that invites postdoctoral researchers, research associates, research scientists, graduate students, and faculty members to move beyond passive participation and become active co-creators of the Earth Precision Agriculture conference experience.
Members of the Network are selected from across the agri-food research areas and from institutions in every region of the world. They help shape the conference experience, facilitate peer engagement across disciplines, and carry the EPA mission back to their departments, institutes, and professional societies.
This is not a volunteer program. It is a structured leadership development opportunity with real benefits, real recognition, and a real role in building the global precision agriculture community.
Your Role
How Network Members Contribute
Members contribute in five distinct ways, each designed to be meaningful, visible, and career-enhancing rather than administrative.
Shape the Summit Experience
Support the design and delivery of conference programs, including the Postdoctoral Summit, Student Symposium, Workshops, Tutorials, and selected EPA 2026 programming. Your perspective as an active researcher will directly strengthen the program for participants.
Facilitate Networking
Bridge the EPA research tracks by facilitating peer connections across disciplines, connecting a soil scientist with an AI researcher, or a genomicist with an agricultural economist. You help build the collaborations that will define the next decade of precision agriculture.
Represent EPA
Serve as an official EPA Ambassador within your department, institute, lab, and professional society. Promote the conference, encourage colleagues to submit and attend, and help build the pipeline of future EPA researchers and collaborators.
Build the Emerging Leaders Pipeline
Help identify and encourage early-career researchers, including doctoral candidates and junior research assistants, to engage with EPA 2026. You play a direct role in ensuring that the next generation of precision agriculture leaders has a home at EPA.
Strengthen the Scientific Community
The Network is designed to persist beyond the 2026 conference. Members help build a durable community of researchers who remain connected, as future mentors, session chairs, reviewers, and organizers in subsequent years.
Communicate with the EPA Network
Share your research story, your perspective on precision agriculture, and your experience as a researcher through EPA’s communication channels, including the website, social media, and pre-conference announcements.
Benefits
What You Gain
Network membership is a two-way commitment. EPA 2026 provides six exclusive benefits designed to advance your career in concrete, tangible ways.
01
Priority Access to the EPA Academic Job Board
First access to academic positions, postdoctoral fellowships, and funding announcements distributed through the EPA 2026 network of 200+ organizations and institutions.
02
EPA Leadership Ambassador Awards
Network members are exclusively eligible for the EPA Leadership Ambassador Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the conference and the broader EPA community.
03
Certificate & Formal Letter of Recognition
A formal certificate of participation and a signed letter of recognition from the EPA 2026 organizing committee are meaningful additions to your academic and professional portfolio.
04
Priority Mentor Access & Curated Networking
Priority placement in the Mentorship Match Program, plus exclusive invitations to curated networking events with senior researchers, R&D directors, and industry founders.
05
Exclusive Leadership Roundtable
An invitation-only roundtable discussion with senior EPA researchers and industry leaders, a structured, intimate conversation about the future of precision agriculture and your role in it.
06
Featured Profile & Spotlight Opportunities
Opportunity for featured research/researcher highlight on the EPA social media and communication channels, putting your work and your name in front of 1,000+ attendees from 40+ countries.
Leadership
An Exclusive Seat at the Table
The Leadership Roundtable is one of the most distinctive features of the Network. Unlike informal networking events, this is a structured, facilitated discussion where Network members sit alongside senior academics, government scientists, R&D directors, and agricultural entrepreneurs. The conversation is designed to be candid and forward-looking, addressing the real challenges facing researchers in precision agriculture and the strategic directions that will define the field over the next decade.
Community
A Network That Outlasts the Conference
The EPA Leadership and Ambassador Network is built to endure. Members are connected through a dedicated community platform before, during, and after EPA 2026, enabling ongoing collaboration, peer mentorship, and joint research initiatives across institutions and countries. The Network is the foundation for future EPA programs. Members from the 2026 cohort will be the first to be invited back as mentors, session chairs, and organizers for EPA 2027 and beyond, creating a self-reinforcing community of precision agriculture leaders.
Eligibility
Open to Early-Career Researchers
The Network is designed for researchers at every stage of their early career, not just senior researchers.
Postdoctoral Researchers
At any stage of a postdoctoral appointment, in any precision agriculture-related discipline.
Research Associates
Project-based or staff research scientists working in precision agriculture research environments.
Faculty Members
Faculty members, including Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors, whose research aligns with one or more EPA tracks.
Graduate students
Graduate students whose research aligns with one or more EPA tracks and who are interested in community building.
Selection
Who We're Looking For
Selection is guided by five principles. The Network is intentionally inclusive, senior postdoctoral researchers, junior research associates, graduate students, and emerging scholars are all encouraged to apply.
- Alignment with precision agriculture and EPA themes: your research connects to one or more of the EPA conference tracks, broadly defined.
- Representation across disciplines, institutions, and regions: the Network is built to reflect the global diversity of precision agriculture research.
- Demonstrated interest in leadership, service, or community-building: through prior roles in student associations, research groups, professional societies, or outreach.
- Capacity to promote EPA through academic or professional networks: you have connections to departments, institutes, or societies where EPA can grow.
- Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary collaboration: you are genuinely excited about working across the boundaries of your own discipline.
Application
Join the EPA Leadership & Ambassador Network
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early applications are strongly encouraged, as the Network has limited places to ensure a high-quality, high-impact experience for all members.
Applications Open
March 15, 2026
Application Deadline
Decisions Notified
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Network before applying.
Is Network membership separate from the Conference registration?
Yes. Network membership is separate from conference registration. The Network is a distinct program within the broader EPA ecosystem, with its own goals, activities, and participant engagement.
How much time does Network membership require?
Membership involves a modest commitment (approximately 1 hour per week), with additional opportunities to contribute based on your interest, availability, and level of involvement as a conference ambassador.
Is the Network open to international researchers?
Absolutely. The Network is explicitly international in scope. Researchers from all countries are encouraged to apply, and geographic diversity is one of the key selection criteria. Active members of the Network will be automatically nominated for travel awards.
What does the featured profile involve?
Selected active network members may be invited to be featured in a short researcher profile on EPA’s social media channels. Profiles may include your research focus, institution, and a brief statement, helping increase the visibility of your work ahead of the conference.
Can I apply to EPA Ambassador Awards?
Yes, and we encourage it. Network members are exclusively eligible for the EPA Ambassador Award, which recognizes outstanding engagement, leadership, and contributions to the Network and the broader EPA community.
Will the Network continue after EPA 2026?
Yes. The Network is designed as a lasting community. Members from the 2026 cohort will be the first to be invited back as mentors, session chairs, and organizers for future EPA conferences.