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The Research!America 2026 Advocacy Awards, held on March 10 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., was informative, reflective, and inspiring.

The event brought together leaders and scientific minds from across the research and development ecosystem. Our honorees participated in two engaging panel discussions. The first focused on building trust in science through dialogue and the second featured a conversation on effective leadership during times of change.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to our many sponsors and benefactors who made the evening possible.

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.

Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy

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The Honorable Katie Boyd Britt
U.S. Senator (R-Ala.)

BIO

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The Honorable Chris Coons
U.S. Senator (D-Del.)

BIO

John Edward Porter Legacy Award,
generously supported by Ann Lurie


Mary Woolley
President and CEO, Research!America

BIO

Builders of Science Award


Nora Volkow, MD
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

BIO

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

BIO

Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award


Dr. Gerald Chan
Co-founder and Chairman, The Morningside Group

BIO

Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award


AcademyHealth

BIO

Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion

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Amy Maxmen, PhD
National Public Health Reporter, KFF Health News

BIO

Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Awards,
generously supported by Johnson & Johnson

Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award

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The McClintock Letters

BIO

Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award


Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU)
Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust

BIO

Building the Foundation Award


Sir Nicholas J. Wald, DSc (Med), FRCP, FRS
Professor of Preventive Medicine, University College London Institute of Health Informatics

BIO


Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., MD, MSPM
Former Director of the CDC’s Birth Defects Division
(posthumously)

BIO


Richard B. Johnston, Jr., MD
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine and National Jewish Health

BIO

Rapid Translation Award


Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

BIO

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND BENEFACTORS!

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