During the 2016 Borlaug Dialogue last week in Des Moines, Iowa, an announcement was made officially launching the first National Academy of Sciences (NAS) prize dedicated to food and agriculture research. The new NAS Prize in Food and Agricultural Sciences, endowed in perpetuity by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for $100,000 each year, is focused on supporting innovative scientific achievements that will ensure a robust food supply by 2050.

With the creation of the new NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences, which will be awarded each year to a mid-career recipient at a U.S. institution, FFAR and its partners aim to complement the work of the World Food Prize.

“The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is proud to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish this new prize at the National Academy of Sciences recognizing extraordinary scientists for discoveries that transform how we produce and deliver nutritious food,” said Sally Rockey, executive director of FFAR. “As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Food Prize, it is a timely and distinct honor to mark this milestone for food and agriculture sciences alongside our partners and colleagues at this year’s Borlaug Dialogue.”

The inaugural recipient of the new Prize will be honored in January 2017 for an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production.

The news was released during the annual Borlaug Dialogue, an international summit bringing together industry thought leaders, policy makers, farmers, executives from agribusiness and non-governmental organizations, and scientific, academic and development experts to address critical food security issues and honor recipients of the World Food Prize.