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Tag: awards

Message from Masa: 2006 King Baudouin Award for CIMMYT work in sub-Saharan Africa

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I am very happy to tell you that today is a very good day for all of us at CIMMYT. We have just been presented with the CGIAR’s highest recognition for science for development—the King Baudouin Award—here at the CGIAR AGM in Washington DC. The award has been given to us for our work on stress-tolerant maize in eastern and southern Africa. This is research that has a 20 year history at CIMMYT, starting with the selection of potential germplasm from the gene bank in the late 1980s and continuing through today with the very successful participatory selection work with farmers through the mother-baby trial system and the dissemination of stress-tolerant maize seed on a large sale by national programs, small-scale seed companies, and community-based organizations. The work is a fine example of how research-led development can enhance the livelihoods of the rural poor.

I want to use this message to congratulate Marianne BĂ€nziger and the rest of the CIMMYT team who have worked so hard over the years to make a difference in Africa and also to recognize the amazing partnership of researchers, farmers, national agricultural research systems, and donors that led to the success of the project. Finally, I want to reinforce the fact that Marianne and I received the award not just on behalf of CIMMYT but on behalf of everyone who contributed to this successful work, which is based on long-term scientific efforts and effective partnerships with many collaborators. The work, of course, is not finished. It never is. But the recognition by the CGIAR is an important milestone of which we can be very proud.

The King Baudouin Award is presented every second year by the CGIAR and this is the second time in a row it has been given to the CIMMYT family (in 2004 the Rice Wheat Consortium, in which CIMMYT is a leading participant, was recognized). In the years between King Baudouin Awards, the highest science prize in the CGIAR is the one that recognizes the outstanding scientist in the system. In 2003 it went to Abdul Mujeeb Kazi and in 2005 to Ravi Singh. The quality of CIMMYT science has been recognized as best in the CGIAR for four consecutive years.

Once again let me offer, on behalf of the whole CIMMYT family, congratulations for the outstanding work and effective partnerships!

Delbert Hess’ work is recognized

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Former CIMMYT maize program director Delbert Hess has received the Genetics and Plant Breeding Award for Industry from the Crop Science Society of America and the US National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders. The award is presented to a crop scientist who has made significant contributions to genetics and plant breeding as part of work in the private sector. Congratulations, Delbert!

Paper wins award

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A scientific paper which includes among its authors CIMMYT scientists Jose Crossa, Suketoshi Taba and Uruguayan researcher and CIMMYT partner Jorge Franco has been given an award by the prestigious journal, Crop Science as one of the three outstanding papers of 2005 in plant genetic resources.

The paper is titled “A Sampling Strategy for Conserving Genetic Diversity when Forming Core Subsets” and furthers the science of genetic resource conservation statistics, a science in which this team is a world leader.

In 2005, 31 papers were eligible. An awards committee selected the three outstanding plant genetic resources papers by secret ballot. Reviewers identified outstanding papers based on scientific merit and innovation in discovery of novel agronomic genes from exotic germplasm by classical or molecular methods, statistical or molecular methods for quantifying genetic diversity, methods to improve germplasm regeneration and maintenance, and new approaches in the study of genetic diversity.

This is the second year in a row a paper from CIMMYT has won this award. Congratulations!

Award for Zhonghu He

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Zhonghu He, CIMMYT Principal Scientist and Country Representative in China received the Taishan Scholars Award, the highest honor for individual scientists from the Shandong Provincial Government. The ceremony was held on July 6, 2006, in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province.

Taishan is a famous Mountain and it is considered a symbol of Shandong. This award is based on our work in Shandong and Dr. He was nominated by the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science (Shandong AAS).

Dr. He has provided strong scientific leadership in Chinese wheat improvement, particularly in the establishment of a standardized quality testing system and the development of a regional quality program. The CAAS-CIMMYT wheat quality lab has become internationally recognized for its active and productive activities in promoting Chinese wheat quality, and shares around 70% of wheat quality activities in China. Dr. He, together with the wheat team in Shandong AAS, developed and promoted noodle quality wheat cultivar Jinan 19, which contributed more than 4 million ha in Shandong province for the last five years. It won the second prize from Chinese government in 2005.

In total, 70 people received awards, and the areas include literature, education, math and physics, engineering, medicine, biology, and agriculture In agriculture, four scientists were selected. As part of the award, the provincial government will grant 60,000 US $ per year for five years to Dr. He for providing leadership to the wheat program at Shandong AAS.