Dr Swati Nayak, an Indian scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has been named the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Norman E Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, with the World Food Prize Foundation describing her as an "outstanding young scientist." 

• Nayak is the South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at the IRRI in New Delhi.
• The award recognises Nayak for her innovative approach to engaging smallholder farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems, from testing and deployment to equitable access and adoption of climate-resilient and nutritious rice varieties, a release from the World Food Prize Foundation said in a tweet on platform X.
• The scientist from Odisha, Nayak will formally receive the Borlaug Field Award during a ceremony at the 2023 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue October 24-26 in Des Moines, Iowa (US).