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B.M. Prasanna appointed as MAIZE CRP Director

The CGIAR Research Program on MAIZE, CIMMYT and IITA are pleased to announce that as of 1 June 2015, the MAIZE CRP has been led by the former Director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, who will now spearhead the CGIAR’s international maize research agenda. The CIMMYT Board, upon endorsement by the MAIZE Stakeholder Advisory Committee (StAC), has agreed to the CIMMYT Director General appointing Dr. B.M. Prasanna as MAIZE CRP Director.

The CGIAR Research Program on MAIZE, CIMMYT and IITA are pleased to announce that effective 1 June 2015, MAIZE will be led by a dedicated CRP Director, who is spearheading the international maize research agenda of CGIAR. The CIMMYT Board, upon endorsement of the MAIZE Stakeholder Advisory Committee (StAC), has agreed to the CIMMYT Director General appointing Dr. B.M. Prasanna as MAIZE CRP Director.

As a CIMMYT staff member, the Director will report to the Director General of CIMMYT. As leader of MAIZE, the Director will chair the MAIZE Management Committee and will report to the MAIZE-StAC, as well as to both the CIMMYT and IITA Boards of Trustees.

The CRP Director will be supported by a team of five, including the MAIZE Program Manager and a Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist working for both MAIZE and WHEAT. Cross-cutting Communications, Knowledge Management (including Open Access), and Gender and Intellectual Asset Management support will be provided by the relevant CIMMYT/IITA departments and funded by the CRP management budget.

This new appointment will help CIMMYT and IITA set up a single global maize research and development program for both centers.