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Global Innovator Award: Congratulations to Dr. Lora Iannotti, Recipient of the 2022 BIFAD Award for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab!

On September 12, 2023, BIFAD celebrated Dr. Lora Ionnotti, recipient of the 2022 BIFAD Award for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab.  The award recognizes outstanding research contributions to the interdependent objectives of the U.S. Government’s Global Food Security Strategy: inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population.   The Global Innovator Award recognizes a researcher or research team whose research and outreach through the Feed the Future Innovation Labs demonstrates exemplary scientific merit, relevance to national and/or regional priorities, impact or demonstrated potential for impact, and demonstrated commitment to inclusive development and local capacity development. The BIFAD Global Innovators Award is presented to researchers at various stages of their post-student career.

Dr. Lora Iannotti, a Professor in Public Health and Founding Director of the E3 Nutrition Lab at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is an expert in maternal and young child nutrition and nutrient deficiencies related to poverty and infectious diseases, and she serves as a Nutrition Specialist for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, led by Mississippi State University. Dr. Iannotti also serves as Director of Planetary Health and Environmental Justice in Washington University in St. Louis’ recently launched Center for the Environment. Dr. Iannotti is recognized for her research to improve nutrition for vulnerable groups through sustainable fisheries.

Watch the video below to meet award recipient Dr. Lora Iannotti.

Dr. Iannotti's involvement with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish exemplifies the transformative potential of integrating a nutritional perspective into the sustainable advancement of aquaculture and fisheries. As the principal investigator for two key activities within the Fish Innovation Lab, Dr. Iannotti spearheaded research aimed at integrating animal-source foods into healthy, sustainable diets for highly vulnerable populations globally.  Her research builds on the landmark Lulun Project in Ecuador, which found that one egg per day during early childhood significantly reduced stunting and improved markers of brain development. With the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, Dr. Iannotti and her team designed a bundled intervention—social marketing for health behavior change and modified fishing traps—to address malnutrition and poverty in small-scale fishing households. The innovation successfully improved child growth while simultaneously protecting fisher livelihoods and marine ecosystem health. Dr. Ianotti’s research has informed national and global nutrition policies and programs. Congratulations, Dr. Lora Iannotti!

BIFAD thanks Professor Marie Boyd, BIFAD member and selection panel chair, and the esteemed scientists who dedicated their time and expertise to conduct rigorous, independent reviews of award nominations:

  • Dr. James Hansen, Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia Climate School at Columbia University

  • Jahqethea Johnson, Northern Plains Region Agricultural Statistician at the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, and former National Graduate Student President, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences

  • Dr. Laté Lawson-Lartego, Chief Innovation Officer of the Global Innovation Lab for Equality (aGILE) at Oxfam America

  • Dr. Abebe Shimeles, Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and Senior Economic Advisor for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa

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BIFAD Events

Recognizing Research Excellence for Impact: Presentation of the

2021 BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab

Wednesday, December 7th, 2022

9:00-10:00 am EST (7:45-8:45 pm NPT)

Please register for the event in the link here

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2021 BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence Celebrating research excellence and impact. Meet the 2021 recipients of the BIFAD awards for scientific excellence in a feed the future innovation lab. December 7th, 9am with Dr Thomas Jayne and Dr. Seerjana Maharjan

The Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), an advisory committee to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. The BIFAD award recognizes research efforts that contribute to the interrelated and interdependent objectives of the U.S. Government’s Global Food Security Strategy: inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population.

The program, co-hosted with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab Council of Directors, the Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab at Virginia Tech, and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence at Michigan State University, will include presentations from the award recipients on their research and the impacts in local communities.

The 2021 Senior Research Award recipient, Dr. Thomas (Thom) Jayne, University Foundation Professor Emeritus of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, will present economic and policy research on food systems transformation in Africa carried out with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence and other Feed the Future Innovation Labs. The 2021 Student Research Award recipient, Dr. Seerjana Maharjan, Assistant Scientific Officer in the Department of Plant Resources at the Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment and recent doctoral graduate at Tribhuvan University, will present research on the ecology and biological control of invasive weed species in central Nepal carried out with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Integrated Pest Management.

2022 Call for Nominations for the BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence

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Now accepting nominations. BIFAD awards for scientific excellence in a feed the future innovation lab

The BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab recognize individual researchers and/or research teams for significant achievements originating from work performed under the USAID-funded Feed the Future Innovation Labs. Two awards are anticipated to be given annually (contingent on the submission of eligible nominations): the Global Innovators Award for an individual researcher or a team of researchers, including researchers at all stages of their post-student career, and the Early Innovators Award for students. The awards recognize research efforts that contribute to the interrelated and interdependent objectives of the U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy: inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population. Nominations are due Monday, January 23rd, 2023, in the online portal. See the full Call for Nominations for more details.

Congratulations to the 2021 recipients of the BIFAD Award for Scientific Excellence!

The Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. With this award, BIFAD recognizes research efforts that contribute to the interrelated and interdependent objectives of the U.S. Government’s Global Food Security Strategy: inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population.

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Banner image with photos of the 2022 BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence Recipients

Dr. Thomas (Thom) Jayne, University Foundation Professor of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, is the 2021 Senior Researcher Award recipient. Dr. Jayne is recognized for his exemplary economic and policy research on food systems transformation in Africa with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence; the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Policy; and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification. Read more about Dr. Jayne’s research and impacts in the full announcement here.

Ms. Seerjana Maharjan, doctoral student at Tribhuvan University in Nepal, is the 2021 Student Researcher Award recipient. Ms. Maharjan is recognized for her excellent research contributions to the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Integrated Pest Management, with a focus on the ecology and biological control of invasive weed species in central Nepal. Read more about Ms. Maharjan’s research and impacts in the full announcement here.

BIFAD will announce the 2022 Call for Nominations in August 2022, with a submission deadline of November 1, 2022. Feed the Future Innovation Lab researchers and partners are encouraged to nominate outstanding research teams, researchers, and students for this prestigious award.

Follow this page or sign up for BIFAD updates for a reminder when the Call for Nominations is released.

Last Year's Call for Nominations:  2021 BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab

The Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the 2021 BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. The Feed the Future Innovation Labs draw on the expertise of top U.S. universities and developing country research institutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges to strengthen the resiliency of food and agricultural systems. The BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence are one way in which BIFAD recognizes the trailblazing work of these dedicated researchers.

About the Award

The BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab recognize individual researchers and/or research teams for significant achievements originating from work performed under the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) funded Feed the Future Innovation Labs. The awards recognize research efforts that contribute to the interrelated and interdependent objectives of the Global Food Security Strategy: inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population.

Award Categories

Two awards are anticipated: the Senior Research Award, for an individual researcher or a team of researchers, and the Student Researcher Award. Nominees must be associated currently or formerly with a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. Achievements upon which award nominations are based must have been completed primarily while affiliated with a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. For detailed eligibility criteria, see the full Call for Nominations.

Selection Criteria

A successful award recipient or recipient team’s research should demonstrate scientific and technical merit, dedication to developing country national and/or regional agricultural research priorities, potential for broader impact at scale that contributes to improvements in developing country food security, nutrition, resilience, and inclusive, sustainable, agriculture-led economic growth, and evidence of commitment for integrating inclusive development and local capacity development considerations.

Nominations Instructions

  • Nomination are accepted until August 13, 2021 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.
  • All nomination packets must be submitted in the online form, HERE.
  • Nomination materials must clearly address the selection criteria shared in the full Call for Nominations.

Congratulations to the 2019 recipients of the BIFAD Award for Scientific Excellence!

Drs. Yihun Dile, Abeyou Worqlul, and Jean-Claude Bizimana of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation at the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M AgriLife are recipients of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) 2019 Senior Reseach Team Award for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. Mr. Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is the 2019 recipient of the BIFAD Student Award for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab. The award announcements were made on October 15, 2019 during the BIFAD public meeting in conjunction with the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa.

Read about past winners: