SEED Prize

We are currently accepting nominations.

The William L. Brown Supporting Ethnobotanists in Engagement and Discovery, or SEED, prize will recognize an individual at an emergent career stage whose research focuses on conservation and understanding of plants useful to humans, in line with the Center’s mission. 

The William L. Brown Center is dedicated to the study of useful plants, understanding the relationships between humans, plants, and their environment, and the conservation of plant species and preservation of traditional knowledge for the benefit of future generations. Its namesake, Dr. William L. Brown, was a distinguished, internationally recognized scientist, businessman, and humanitarian. Over the course of five decades, he devoted himself to the collection, preservation, understanding, and sharing of plant genetic resources in order to help meet the global demand for food.   

The SEED Prize is a $10,000 award to recognize and support an awardee's work in these areas. It is a new program intended to complement the existing William L. Brown Medal that recognizes career-long commitment in the field of genetic resource conservation and use. Both the William L. Brown Medalists and the SEED Prize awardees communicate a vision of a world in which plant genetic resources are understood and protected for the common good. 

Nominations should be sent to awardsWLBC@mobot.org by November 22 with the prize announced later in the calendar year. Nominations should consist of a single pdf, comprising a one-page nomination letter from the nominator attached to the nominee's CV, resume, or biographical sketch. Nominations should be made by a person able to speak to the nominee's demonstrated impacts and future potential in ethnobotany, economic botany, or the conservation of plant genetic resources.  Links or references to publicly available materials, such as publications, press, or websites, are welcome in the nomination letter.