On 27 July,Kick-off Meeting for the NSF and NSFC Jointly funded program, Dimensions IRCN：Diversity and Forest Change was held in Institute of Botany, CAS. DrEmily Yaung Ashworth（Director, China Office, NSF）Dr. Penelope Louise Firth（Deputy Division Director, Division of Environmental Biology）、Dr. William Yi-been Chang（Head, East Asia and Pacific Program (EAP) and Interim Executive Officer of International Science and Engineering (OISE) from NSF, Dr. Alan James Tessie（Program Officer, Population and Community Ecology Cluster）、Dr. James Ze Wang（Program Manager for China, EAP, OISE）, director Zhenliang Yu of live science division, NSFC, and Dr Yinghui Liu, director of International cooperation division Dr Huai Chen and Dr Xiuping Liu, the principals of the program and related scientists from CTFS and CForBio attended the meeting .

The meeting was conducted by deputy director of Biodiversity Committee, CAS, Keping Ma. Dr. Emily Yaung Ashworth、Dr. Penelope Louise Firth and Huai Chen made speeches. Mr William Y. B. Chang, the director of East Asia program reported on The Cooperation between USA and China on Science and Education. Dr Stuart Davies , the program principal on US side introduced the significance of the program based on the importance of forest ecosystem and environmental problems faced by mankind, basic concepts of CTFS and its cooperation with CForBio. Prof Zhanqing Hao, the program principal on China side introduced the background, aims, scientific exchange and relate training program of the program. Prof Keping Ma introduced　 CForBio’s work and related plots.

After the meeting, accompanied by prof Zhangqing Hao and Miao Wang, the scientists had an excursion in forest on Changbai Mountain and the CBS Plot, heard Prof Hao’s report about the work on the plot and the advancement of the program funded by NSF-NSFC. NSF and NSFC highly evaluated the work done for the plot.