CAST AWARDS

2026 CAST Lifetime Achievement Award

Presented at the CAST Awards Ceremony on the anniversary of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.

📍 Library of Congress · Washington, D.C. · December 10, 2026 · 6 p.m. ET

Award Overview

About the CAST Lifetime Achievement Award

The CAST Lifetime Achievement Award (CLAA) is CAST’s award for career-long impact, recognizing individuals whose sustained contributions have advanced agricultural science, science communication, or science-based leadership in food, agriculture, and the environment.

The award was established in 2025 and presented inaugurally to Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia and President Emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation, in recognition of his six decades of leadership in diplomacy, agricultural development, and global food security.

The 2026 award will be presented at the CAST Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, December 10, 2026, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. — a date chosen to mark the anniversary of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Timeline

Key Dates

NOMINATIONS OPEN

June 8, 2026

Nomination cycle opened

Submission Deadline

July 31, 2026

Midnight CST — nominations closed

Recipient Announced

By Sept. 30, 2026

Winner to be publicly announced

Award Ceremony

December 10, 2026

6 p.m. ET · Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Nomination Information

Selection Criteria & Guidelines

The CAST Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual who has made sustained, career-long contributions to agricultural science, science communication, or science-based leadership in food, agriculture, and the environment.

Primary consideration will be given to candidates who:

Have demonstrated a career-long record of advancing agricultural science, its communication, or its application to public policy and societal benefit;
Have made significant contributions to their field at the national or international level; and
Have helped connect agricultural science to policymakers, the public, or the next generation of leaders in food and agriculture.

Additional points of consideration:

The award may recognize a specific body of work or a lifetime of contributions across multiple roles and disciplines.
All disciplines related to agricultural, environmental, and food science are eligible — including research, education, policy, communication, diplomacy, and leadership.
Candidates must be living persons.
Individuals from all nations are eligible.
Nominations are encouraged regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, disability, or age.
Self-nominations are not accepted.

Nominations are welcome from anyone in the agricultural, environmental, and food science community — there are no restrictions on who may nominate.
CAST’s Board and staff may also put forward candidates directly.
A separate nomination form must be submitted for each nominee.
All components of the packet must be submitted together by the primary nominator.
Upon submission, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not, contact Carlos Back Vianna, CAST Director of Marketing & Communications.

The primary nominator’s letter should be extensive and address the following:

Describe the candidate’s career arc, accomplishments, and qualifications for a lifetime achievement honor.
If you have personal, direct experience with the candidate, describe it.
Provide specific examples of impact — research milestones, policy influence, public engagement, leadership roles, or other measurable contributions.
Include links to notable publications, presentations, media appearances, or other evidence of career impact, where available.

Support letters:

Letters must be addressed to: CAST Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee.
Collect support letters from your references and upload them as PDFs through the nomination form — do not have writers send letters directly to CAST.
Letters should be on letterhead; contain personal reflections on career contributions and character; address lasting impact; and preferably be one page (no longer than two).
Letter writers should represent a variety of organizations or perspectives.
Maximum of five (5) letters of support.

Completed nomination packets must include all of the following:

The completed nomination form;
A curated curriculum vitae or professional biography of the nominee (maximum 5 pages);
A written statement of the candidate’s career contributions and their significance to agricultural science, communication, or leadership — including a summary of key roles, publications, initiatives, or public engagement activities;
A maximum of five (5) letters of support in PDF form. The nominator may be included as one of the five references.

Nominations for the 2026 award are now closed. For questions, contact cvianna@cast-science.org.

2025 Inaugural Recipient

A Legacy to Build On

Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn

President Emeritus, World Food Prize Foundation | Former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia

"From my very first Foreign Service assignment introducing IR8 'miracle rice' in the Mekong Delta in 1968, to my leadership of the World Food Prize Foundation, agricultural science and technology have been the constant thread in my work. This award affirms the theme that has guided my life: peace through agricultural science and technology."

— Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn

CAST Awards Ecosystem

Recognition Across Every Career Stage

STUDENTS

CAST Science Communication Scholarship

Supporting the next generation of agricultural science communicators.

MID-CAREER

Borlaug CAST Communication Award

Honoring mid-career professionals making a difference in ag science communication.

★ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

CAST Lifetime Achievement Award

CAST’s highest honor — for sustained, career-long impact at the national or international level.

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