Proudly announcing our 2024 Crawford Fund Medal recipient, Kadambot Siddique

May 6, 2025

The 2024 Crawford Fund Medal has been awarded to internationally renowned agricultural scientist, educator and collaborator, Kadambot Siddique AM CitWA FTSE.

The medal recognises those who have made a considerable and continued contribution to international agricultural research through the Crawford Fund’s programs and related activities.

Professor Siddique will be presented with the 2024 Crawford Fund Medal at the Crawford Fund’s 2025 Annual Conference, being held in the Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra on 11 and 12 August.

“In awarding the 2024 Crawford Fund Medal, we recognise the more than 35 years’ of eminent service by Hackett Professor Siddique AM CitWA FTSE in agricultural research, teaching and management in Australia and overseas, especially in the context of international agricultural research for development,” said the Fund’s CEO Shaun Coffey.

“Professor Siddique has served on the Crawford Fund WA Committee since 1999 and has led and co-led numerous international projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).”

“He’s made an outstanding contribution in the fields of crop physiology, production agronomy, farming systems, genetic resources, breeding research in cereal, grain legumes and oilseed crops. He’s maintained a focus on addressing food security through high quality science and the training and development of other scientists from Australia and around the world,” said Shaun.

He was the 2023 Scientist of the Year at the Western Australian Premier’s Science Awards, became a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences in 2024, and was appointed Special Ambassador by the United Nations FAO for the International Year of Pulses in 2016, underscoring the global impact of his research, and his national and international reputation in agricultural science. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and a Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Science, the Pakistan Academy of Science and the African Academy of Sciences. Professor Siddique received the Friendship Award in 2019 – the highest recognition for a foreign expert from the Chinese Central Government, acknowledging two decades of contributions to agriculture in China.

Professor Siddique has pioneered research on chickpea, contributing enormously to the Australian chickpea industry. He has bred and commercially released 13 grain legume cultivars (chickpea, lentil and grasspea). This work is crucial in the context of global warming.

“Professor Siddique’s unique multidisciplinary approach involves consistent engagement with end-users, industry and farmer groups to develop scientific questions and projects. He has consistently addressed real-world challenges relevant to national and international researchers, producers and communities. His extensive network of collaborations and international research endeavours exemplifies his commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice, serving the global agriculture and food system community,” said Shaun.

In the areas of science education, outreach and advocacy, Kadambot has also excelled, demonstrating a passion and dedication in shaping the next generation of agricultural scientists by mentoring numerous postdoctoral fellows, postgraduate students, and undergraduate students from many countries; contributing to multiple undergraduate units in agriculture at UWA and other international universities; and hosting visiting scientists from over 25 countries across five continents, fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

He has an outstanding publication record – on Research.com Professor Siddique was ranked 6 in Australia and 37 in the world in 2025 for his publications and citations in Agronomy and Plant Science. Based on the Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics he is a highly cited (Hi Ci) researcher in both Agricultural Sciences (2019 – 2023) and Plant and Animal Science (2021 – 2023).

“Congratulations to Professor Siddique. He has a long list of international, national and local accolades for the tremendous impact he has achieved throughout his career, and he is indeed a very worthy recipient of our highest honour, the Crawford Fund Medal,” concluded Shaun.

The list of Crawford Fund Medal recipients reads like a ‘who’s who’ of impact in agriculture for development and includes:

Dr Tony Fischer FAIAST FTSE AM
Em Prof Kym Anderson AC FAAEA FASSA DFAARES DFESA
Dr TJ Higgins AO FAA FTSE
Dr Brian Keating
Professor Lindsay Falvey FTSE FAIAS
Dr Bob Clements AO
Dr Meryl Williams FTSE
Assoc. Prof. Robyn Alders AO
Professor Emeritus Robert (Bob) Gilkes
Professor Lester Burgess
Dr John Schiller

We are grateful to them all!