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IFA Science Awards

Young Female Scientist Noting Results Of Experiment In A Lab
Every year, IFA invites individual scientists to apply for two awards that recognize excellence in plant nutrition science, innovation and extension for sustainable development.
The two award categories are:
  • The IFA Norman Borlaug Plant Nutrition Award, which recognizes a large portfolio of research achievements, demonstrating that the individual candidate has made significant contributions to knowledge as well as concrete solutions.
  • The IFA Emerging Scholar Award, which recognizes an individual’s portfolio of research that suggests the candidate will make significant contributions in the future.

The judges for each award will consider the nominations in the context of the “New Paradigm for Plant Nutrition” (read here) as developed by the Scientific Panel on Responsible Plant Nutrition.

The application deadline is usually mid-September. Read for further details and for information on past winners.

IFA Norman Borlaug Plant Nutrition Award Winner: Dr. Jian Feng Ma
Dr. Jian Feng Ma, Professor at the Institute of Plant Science & Resources, Okayama University, Japan, received the prestigious IFA Norman Borlaug Plant Nutrition Award for his groundbreaking research in plant nutrition spanning over three decades.
2023 IFA Emerging Scholar Award Joint Winner: Dr. Shan Li
Dr. Shan Li, honored with the IFA Emerging Scholar Award, has spearheaded research on high-yielding crops with enhanced nutrient use-efficiency. Her work, based at Nanjing Agricultural University’s College of Agriculture in China, aligns with the New Paradigm for plant nutrition, aiming to reduce economic and environmental costs linked to fertilizer production.
2023 IFA Emerging Scholar Award Joint Winner: Dr. Chelsea Janke

Dr. Chelsea Janke, a distinguished researcher renowned for her pioneering work in nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer dynamics, has been acknowledged for her research’s substantial impact on improving nutrient utilization efficiency, boosting agricultural productivity, and promoting environmental sustainability.

IFA Science Awards Past Winners.

All winners of the IFA Norman Borlaug Award are eligible to sit on the panel of recipients.

The panel has been established to recommend ways to make the Award an ever more effective tool for promoting ongoing research to improve efficient and environmentally friendly plant nutrition.

By Year
Dr. Xia Emma Lian
2022

Dr. Xia Emma Lian

Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia

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Jean Martial Johnson
2022

Jean Martial Johnson

Africa Rice Center in Côte d’Ivoire

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Dr. Fang-jie Zhao
2022

Dr. Fang-jie Zhao

Nanjing Agricultural University, China

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Dr. Maarten Everaert
2021

Dr. Maarten Everaert

KU Leuven – Division Soil and Water Management

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Dr. Pauline Welikhe
2021

Dr. Pauline Welikhe

Research Scientist at Phospholutions

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Dr. Patrick Brown
2021

Dr. Patrick Brown

University of California-Davis

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Dr. Andrew Sharpley
2019

Dr. Andrew Sharpley

Distinguished Professor of Soils and Water quality for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

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Weifeng Zhang
2018

Weifeng Zhang

Professor China Agricultural University

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Heitor Cantarella
2017

Heitor Cantarella

Director of the Soil and Environmental Resources Center of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas in Brazil

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Tekalign Mamo
2016

Tekalign Mamo

Distinguished soil scientist and former Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture

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Michael McLaughlin
2015

Michael McLaughlin

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia

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Xuhua Zhong
2014

Xuhua Zhong

Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

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Abdul Rashid
2013

Abdul Rashid

Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Pakistan

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Rikin Gandhi
2012

Rikin Gandhi

Digital Green, a non-governmental organization

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Greta Gabinete
2012

Greta Gabinete

Research and Development Center, West Visayas State University, Philippines

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Roland Buresh
2011

Roland Buresh

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines

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Jiyun Jin
2010

Jiyun Jin

Soil and Fertilizer Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), China

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André Bationo
2009

André Bationo

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Ghana

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Achim Dobermann
2008

Achim Dobermann

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines

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Fusuo Zhang
2007

Fusuo Zhang

College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, China

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John Ryan
2006

John Ryan

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria

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Ismail Çakmak
2005

Ismail Çakmak

Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey

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Kenneth G. Cassman
2004

Kenneth G. Cassman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, USA

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Mark M. Alley
2002

Mark M. Alley

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA

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Milkha S. Aulakh
2001

Milkha S. Aulakh

Punjab Agricultural University, India

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Graeme Blair
2000

Graeme Blair

School of Rural Science and Natural Resources, University of New England, Australia

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Bernardo van Raij
1999

Bernardo van Raij

Instituto Agronômico Campinas, Brazil

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Wilfried Werner
1998

Wilfried Werner

Institute for Agricultural Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany

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Bao Lin
1997

Bao Lin

Soil and Fertilizer Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), China

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Uzi Kafkafi
1996

Uzi Kafkafi

Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

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Alfredo Scheid Lopes
1995

Alfredo Scheid Lopes

Escola Superior de Agricultura de Lavras, Brazil

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Cynthia A. Grant
1994

Cynthia A. Grant

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada

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A.E. (Johnny) Johnston
1994

A.E. (Johnny) Johnston

Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom

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Jian-Chang Xie
1993

Jian-Chang Xie

Institute of Soil Science, Academia Sinica, China

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