Nominations for the 2026 Awards of Excellence are Now Being Accepted!

Celebrating Innovation in Fusarium Head Blight Research

The U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) is pleased to introduce the USWBSI Excellence Awards, a new recognition program honoring individuals and teams making outstanding contributions to reducing the impact of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) on wheat and barley. These awards celebrate not only scientific innovation but also the spirit of collaboration and advocacy that drives the FHB research community forward.

Award Categories

Outstanding New Investigator Award

Recognizes researchers with up to 7 years of experience as a USWBSI funded PI.
Criteria : Innovative research with high potential for impact, early career accomplishments, and significant contributions to understanding the impact of FHB on wheat and barley.

Collaborative Achievement Award

Open to all multi-institutional or multi-disciplinary teams of researchers and/or stakeholders.
Criteria : Exceptional work in multi-disciplinary or multi-institutional research projects as a team, demonstrating significant advances through collaboration to minimize the threat of FHB.

Innovative Impact Award

Open to all researchers and stakeholders, individuals or teams.
Criteria : Demonstrated advocacy and/or outreach that has significantly advanced awareness of and responses to the threat of FHB on wheat and barley, and the production of mycotoxins.
(Up to two awards will be given, one with advocacy focus and one with outreach focus.)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Reserved for researchers or stakeholders with 20+ years of FHB expertise.
Criteria : Long-term contributions to the field, groundbreaking research, influence on the scientific community, or practical applications to minimize the threat of FHB.

2026 Nomination Process

We invite nominations from across the FHB research and stakeholder community, including academia, industry, and governmental/non-governmental organizations. Self-nominations are welcome.

What's Required:

• A completed nomination submission via the USWBSI Excellence Awards Nomination Form 
• Nomination package to include:
  
       For Individual Nominations
  • A one-page cover letter by the nominator with a brief statement on the significance of the nomination as it aligns with the criteria for the award
  • A written biosketch summary of the nominee’s achievements and contributions (max 500 words)
  • A comprehensive CV of the nominee, including relevant publications (if applicable) and evidence of impact
  • Please name your file: 2026IndvAwdNominee_LastNameFirstInitial.pdf
    
    For Team Nominations 
  • A one-page cover letter by the nominator with a brief statement on the significance of the team nomination as it aligns with the criteria for the award
  • A written summary of the team achievements and contributions, include stats/impact for the team effort with focus on team rather than leader of team (max 1000 words)
  • A listing of all the team members (name, institution, title) with brief statement for each team member of their role/contributions in the cooperative effort
  • Please name your file: 2026AwdTeamNominee_TeamName.pdf

Deadline to Submit: August 26, 2026
 

Eligibility & Selection

• Researchers from academia, industry, and governmental or non-governmental organizations are eligible.  
• Actively involved stakeholders are eligible for noted awards.
• Only one award will be made per category.
• Individuals may only receive one award per year.
• Team nominations are allowed for applicable categories; all team members will be recognized.
• Awardees are selected by an expert panel appointed by the USWBSI Executive Committee.
• Awards will only be awarded when a nomination meeting the selection criteria is achieved.
• The review committee may opt to deny a nomination or request enhanced submission for future consideration.

Recognition & Ceremony

Awardees will be notified by October 2026 and will be honored at the 2026 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum, held on December 7-9, 2025 in Louisville, KY, during a dedicated ceremony:

MONDAY, December 7, 2026

• 6:30–7:15 PM | Dinner
• 7:15–7:45 PM | Awards Ceremony
• 7:45–8:00 PM | Lifetime Achievement Awardee Presentation

Questions?

For more information, contact:
USWBSI Networking & Facilitation Office at nfo@scabusa.org

Nominate a colleague or team today and help us recognize those advancing FHB research!