WASHINGTON, DC, US — The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) awarded Dr. Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra of the University of California-Davis the 2024 NAS Prize in Food & Agriculture Sciences for pioneering studies on the evolutionary genetics of corn (maize), a staple food, feed and biofuels crop used around the world.

Ross-Ibarra’s research uses population genetic approaches to address questions ranging from transposable element evolution to the genetics of quantitative traits, corn and human co-evolution, domestication and local adaptation. His studies of corn and its wild relatives have revealed the extensive impact of changing genomic diversity in corn and demonstrated the utility of genomic approaches to predict crop performance. 

“This award is a recognition of the value of evolutionary genetics approaches, essentially letting nature do the experimental work for us, to understanding past and future adaptation in maize and other crops,” Ross-Ibarra said. “It is also a testament to the fantastic group of talented trainees and collaborators I’ve had the privilege of working with for the last 15 years.” 

The NAS Prize, endowed by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is awarded annually to a mid-career scientist at a US institution making an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. The prize includes a medal and a $100,000 award.   

The FFAR builds public-private partnerships to fund research that addresses food and agriculture challenges. The FFAR was established in the 2014 farm bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement US Department of Agriculture’s research agenda.