Advocacy Awards
Established in 1996, the Advocacy Awards are an annual, signature event for Research!America and the research community. Through the Awards and in partnership with our supporters, we are able to:
- Honor individuals and organizations whose leadership efforts have advanced our nation’s commitment to medical, health, and scientific research.
- Inspire the next generation of medical and health research advocates.
- Shine a spotlight on the value of scientific innovation and public health.
2026 Honorees
Our 2026 Advocacy Awards honorees include outstanding advocates for medical and health research and individuals, entities, or partnerships demonstrating commitment to research through discovery, innovation, public communications, and leadership.
John Edward Porter Legacy Award,
generously supported by Ann Lurie
Mary Woolley
President and CEO, Research!America
Builders of Science Award
Nora Volkow, MD
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Herbert Pardes Family Award for National Leadership in Advocacy for Research
Arthur Rubenstein, MBBCh
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award
Dr. Gerald Chan
Co-founder and Chairman, The Morningside Group
Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award
AcademyHealth
Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Awards,
generously supported by Johnson & Johnson
Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award
Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU)
Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust
Building the Foundation Award
Sir Nicholas J. Wald, DSc (Med), FRCP, FRS
Professor of Preventive Medicine, University College London Institute of Health Informatics
Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., MD, MSPM
Former Director of the CDC’s Birth Defects Division
Richard B. Johnston, Jr., MD
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine and National Jewish Health
Rapid Translation Award
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
Research!America’s Advocacy Awards
For information about sponsorship opportunities for the Advocacy Awards, please contact Kristen Furlong, Senior Director of Development and Membership at [email protected].