About the Event
The 2026 Food Use Workshop will be held September 15-17 in Austin, Texas. Research priorities for residue and product performance studies for 2027 will be identified during this workshop. We will update this page regularly as the event approaches. Registration and hotel booking information are now available below.
Workshop Registration
Registration is now open for the 2026 Food Use Workshop! The following rates are applicable for both in-person and virtual attendees:
Early Bird Rate: $400 through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, August 27
Regular Registration Rate: $500 on or after midnight on Friday, August 28
Thursday, September 3, is the final day to request a cancellation and refund for the Workshop. The Zoom link for the workshop will be sent to registered participants after this date.
Register here (or use the button to the right) if you are not affiliated with NC State University. If you are affiliated with NC State University, please contact Donna Bouffard to register (via IDT): dbouffard@ncsu.edu.
If you have any questions or issues regarding registration, get in touch with Donna Bouffard: dbouffard@ncsu.edu.
HERE is a document to guide you through the registration portal step-by-step.
Hotel and Travel Information
The 2026 Food Use Workshop will take place at the DoubleTree Austin.
Booking a Room:
A block of hotel rooms at the DoubleTree Austin is available for our in-person meeting attendees from September 13-17. Rooms must be reserved by Friday, August 14 to receive the group rate of $173/night plus a mandatory charge of 3% per room, totaling $179/night.
Check in is at 4 p.m.; check out is at 12 p.m.
If you need assistance modifying your existing reservation, please contact Donna Bouffard: dbouffard@ncsu.edu.
Airport:
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Hotel Transportation and Parking:
The hotel does not offer an airport shuttle. We recommend using a taxi or rideshare service. The airport’s ground transportation page has additional information.
For those driving, the hotel is offering self-parking at a discounted rate of $10.00 per night for FUW attendees who book through the room block. If you plan to park on-site, notify the front desk agent while checking in, and they will add parking access to your room key. Then, your room key will work for in-and-out parking access.
Workshop Materials
Here is a tentative agenda for the event; the final agenda will be available later this summer.
Pre-workshop nomination lists, prioritization lists, and presentations will be posted as they become available. Find 2025 materials on last year’s event page, and previous FUW materials here.
Video: The Food Use Workshop Process
This video tutorial was created to introduce newcomers to the Food Use Workshop, or serve as a refresher for those who have participated before. Learn what to expect at the event, and how to get involved in IR-4’s Food Crop research cycle before, during and after the Workshop. It can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.
Learn How to Participate: Tutorials + Handouts
Utilize these resources & video tutorials to support your participation in the workshop:
- Video: The Food Use Workshop Process
- IR-4 Research Cycle Handout
- Crop Group Table
- EPA: Factors for IR-4 Public Interest Finding (includes weight-of-evidence factors)
- USDA: What is a Specialty Crop?
Join Us as a Sponsor
Sponsors make events like the Food Use Workshop possible and help IR-4 deliver on its grower-focused mission.
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for IR-4’s 2026 events? Please contact ir-4_project@ncsu.edu for more information.
