About the Award

The NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences recognizes research by a mid-career scientist (defined as up to 20 years since completion of PhD) at a U.S. institution who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. For the purpose of the prize, areas of science with applications to agriculture include plant and animal sciences, microbiology, nutrition and food science, soil science, entomology, veterinary medicine, and agricultural economics. The recipient will be awarded a medal and a $100,000 prize.

Hans Coetzee, Kansas State University, will receive the 2025 NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences.

Coetzee’s groundbreaking research on safe and cost-effective pain management practices in livestock has transformed animal welfare.

Coetzee’s extensive body of work includes the development of novel, objective methods to quantify pain in a wide range of food-producing animals, including beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, and swine. He has created validated models using physiological, behavioral, and neuroendocrine markers to evaluate pharmaceutical products to address pain and welfare during routine management procedures. This scholarship resulted in the approval of the first analgesic drug for use in livestock, and led to new animal care standards, improved health outcomes, and reduced antibiotic use.

Hans Coetzee 2025 NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences

Through his innovative work, Coetzee has not only advanced scientific understanding but also delivered creative yet implementable solutions to complex challenges that benefit animals, livestock producers, and society. By bridging the gap between basic science and practical application, he has fostered collaboration with policymakers and industry stakeholders and inspired the next generation of researchers.

Coetzee will be honored in a ceremony on Sunday, April 27 during the National Academy of Sciences’ 162nd annual meeting. The ceremony will be livestreamed.

Award History

The NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences was established in 2016, endowed through generous gifts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit organization working to support innovative and actionable science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges.

The inaugural prize was awarded in 2017 to Edward S. Buckler for insights and discoveries that changed our understanding of quantitative genetics, for facilitating genetic characterization of genes underlying critical traits and their deployment for breeding programs in a myriad of species, and for exemplary collegiality in sharing resources for the betterment of crops and the human condition.

Most Recent Recipient
Hans Coetzee Food and Ag
Hans Coetzee
2025
Sign up for Newsletter

Join the awards mailing list to receive updates including news, nomination details, and deadlines.

Subscribe

* indicates required
Award Types

Previous Award Recipients

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
2024
Huaijun Zhou
2023
David Lobell
2022
Christina M. Grozinger
2021
Zachary B. Lippman
2020
Elizabeth Ainsworth
2019