The annual Research!America Advocacy Awards program was established in 1996 by the board of directors to honor outstanding advocates for medical, health and scientific research. Recognized individuals and organizations are those whose leadership efforts have been notably effective in advancing our nation's commitment to research. Download Research!America's 20th Anniversary Advocacy Awards and 2009 National Forum (PDF).

Co-Chair
Herbert Pardes, MD, president and CEO
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Media Host
Randolph Siegel, publisher
Media Sponsor
PARADE magazine

Legacy Award

2009 Recipient:

The Honorable Arlen Specter
Senator, Pennsylvania

The Honorable Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania, was honored for his outspoken advocacy and leadership in achieving significant support for medical and health research in the recent economic recovery legislation, staunch support for embryonic stem cell research and many noteworthy contributions as a champion for health research. Read more.

Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy

Benefactor: Whitehead Charitable Foundation
Pictured: Edwin C. Whitehead
 

2009 Recipient:

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House of Representatives

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives,was honored for her extraordinary leadership on science-related issues and her steadfast support of science funding. Pelosi has been House Speaker since 2007 and the Representative of California's 8th Congressional District since 1987. She was the House Minority Leader from 2003 to 2007 and the House Minority Whip from 2002 to 2003. Pelosi has built an impressive record of accomplishment in science, research and energy legislation. Read more.

Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion

Benefactor: Rosenfeld Heart Foundation
Pictured: Isadore Rosenfeld, MD

2009 Recipient:

Bob Woodruff
ABC News Anchor Woodruff was honored for his commitment to cognitive rehabilitation research. Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury by a roadside bomb while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces. After his injury, Woodruff co-wrote a memoir, In an Instant, with his wife, Lee. They established theBob Woodruff Foundationfor injured members of the military. Read more.

Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award for Sustained National Leadership

Benefactors: Raymond R. Sackler, MD, and Beverly Sackler

2009 Recipient:

C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD
Koop is a long-time advocate for health on national and international fronts and has in the past appeared in Research!America public service announcements (See a PSA on YouTube). Heis the Elizabeth DeCamp McInerny Professor of Surgery at Dartmouth Medical School. After his two terms as U.S. Surgeon General, Koop's continued commitment to public health is sustained through his writing. He is also known for his work as a pediatric surgeon. Read more.

Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award

Benefactor: Hogan & Hartson LLP

2009 Recipient:

Genetic Alliance
Sharon Terry is president and CEO of the Genetic Alliance, a network that transforms health through genetics. On behalf of the Alliance, Terry accepted the award. Terry was a driving force behind the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. Read more.

Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award

Benefactors: Gordon and Llura Gund

2009 Recipients:

James E. "Jim" Stowers Jr. and Virginia G. Stowers
Both cancer survivors, the Stowers dedicated their personal fortune to creating the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which opened in 2000 in Kansas City, MO. A premier biomedical research facility, its goal is creating cures or improved treatments for cancer and other gene-linked diseases.Read more.

Builders of Science Award

Anonymous Benefactor

2009 Recipient:

David Baltimore, PhD
This award recognizes leaders in medical and health research who either worked to establish a research facility or substantially revitalized an existing institution. Baltimore has done both:as founding director ofthe Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and serving as president of the California Institute of Technology. Read more.