Crops society announces Pioneer Fellowship in Plant Sciences

The Crop Science Society of America partners with Pioneer Hi-Bred International in support of plant breeding, genetics

The Pioneer Fellowship in Plant Sciences has been created to attract top students whose careers will continue to advance the science of plant improvement. The fellowship is sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., and funded through the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF). It will support four years of graduate study with a $25,000 annual stipend.

The first Pioneer Fellowship in Plant Sciences will be awarded in 2003 to a Ph.D. applicant with outstanding potential in plant sciences. Application information will be in the CSSA Awards Booklet, which is mailed to university departments and posted on the CSSA Web site (www.crops.org) in late December.

"Pioneer is committed to supporting education in plant sciences," said Dr. Todd Krone, Pioneer research coordinator. "The Pioneer Fellowship in Plant Sciences will help graduate students achieve their educational goals, and create the researchers and teachers of the future."

Dave Sleper, CSSA Past-President from the University of Missouri, will chair the initial committee.

The Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF) is the philanthropic arm of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) www.agronomy.org, the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) www.crops.org and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) www.soils.org. These educational organizations help its 10,000+ members advance the discipline and practice of agronomy, crop and soil sciences by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives, and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.