Below is a list of 50 current members of Congress—30 of the House of Representatives and 20 of the Senate—who have been recognized at least once since 2010 for their support of federal spending for research in biopharma and/or all sciences. That recognition has come most often through awards, but the list includes other examples, such as through public praise by an institution in a press announcement, or through the inclusion of their name in the formal title of legislation enacted into law, not merely through sponsorship or co-sponsorship of a bill.
Members of Congress are listed by name, followed by party affiliation and state abbreviation, then a list of many of their honors and awards in supporting science research. While this list does not purport to be an exhaustive list of such honors and awards, the results below nevertheless reveal some interesting findings. Many of the representatives and senators honored for their support for research spending either play leadership roles in their chambers, or hold key positions of influence on committees that consider research funding legislation, either as chairs or ranking members of their party. Some groups also honored favored representatives or senators more than once. And the honorees that have received numerous recognitions are most often those most vocal about increasing funding for NIH and other agencies.
Also revealed in the list is the sheer breadth of groups that recognized members of Congress for their support of federal research spending. In addition to traditional industry groups like the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), they include umbrella organizations focused on research advocacy, disease-based advocacy groups, and even groups based outside biopharma whose criteria for awards included broad overall support for research in all sciences. Several of the groups have only begun bestowing awards on members of Congress within the past four years, reflecting their interest in highlighting representatives and senators who share their views.
The list of awards and honors was compiled through online searchers of the members’ biographies, as well as of announcements on organizations’ web pages, and of lists of past winners maintained by the organizations. The list does not include former representatives or senators.
House of Representatives
Rep. Tammy Baldwin
D-WI
Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), inaugural Public Official Award, 2010
Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
R-TX
Alzheimer’s Association, Humanitarian Award, 2012
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Coalition, Congressional Champion Award, 2011
American Academy of Ophthalmology, Visionary Award, 2010
American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Congressional Leadership Award, 2009
Multiple Sclerosis Society, House Legislator of the Year, 2008
Rep. Diana DeGette
D-CO
Cancer Leadership Award, presented jointly by American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), Friends of Cancer Research, and the Oncology Nursing Society, 2012
American Diabetes Association, Public Policy leadership Award, 2011
Research!America, Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy, 2006
Rep. Rosa DeLauro
D-CT
AACR, invited to address Rally for Medical Research, 2013
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2013
United for Medical Research (UMR), Profile of Promise, 2011
Ovarian National Cancer Alliance, first-ever Hope Award, 2010
Rep. Anna Eshoo
D-CA
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Coalition, Congressional Champion Award, 2011
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2010
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2009
BayBio, Bio Legislator of the Year, 2008
Rep. Chaka Fattah
D-PA
Council on Undergraduate Research with American Chemical Society, Honorary CUR Fellows Award, 2013
Biological and Ecological Sciences Coalition (BESC)1, Leadership Award, 2012
Fattah Neuroscience Initiative, the first-ever federal inter-agency collaboration focused on neuroscience, enacted by President Obama, 2011
Rep. Jim Gerlach
R-PA
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2013
Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association, Federal Legislator of the Year, 2009
Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation, ACE Award, 2008
Voice Foundation, VERA Award of Achievement, 2005
U.S. Oncology, Medal of Honor, 2004
Rep. Ralph Hall
R-TX
American Physical Society (APS), George E. Brown Jr. Science, Engineering and Technology Leadership Award, 2010
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2001
Rep. Richard Hanna
R-NY
APS, George E. Brown Jr. Science, Engineering and Technology Leadership Award, 2013
Rep. Mike Honda
D-CA
APS, George E. Brown Jr. Science, Engineering and Technology Leadership Award, 2013
UMR, Profile of Promise, 2011
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2005
Rep. Rush Holt
D-NJ
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Philip Hauge Abelson Award, 2010
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2006
APS, George E. Brown Jr. Science, Engineering and Technology Leadership Award, 2004
Scientific American, Policy Leader of the Year, 2002
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2001
Rep. Randy Hultgren
R-IL
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2012
APS, George E. Brown Jr. Science, Engineering and Technology Leadership Award, 2012
Rep. Steve Israel
D-NY
AACI, Distinguished Public Service Award, 2011
Rep. Ron Kind
D-WI
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2013
Rep. Barbara Lee
D-CA
AACR, Distinguished Public Service Award, 2012
HIV Medicine Association, Leadership Award, 2012
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Legislator of the Year, 2012
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ambassadors Ball honoree, 2011
Rep. Daniel Lipinski
D-IL
BESC, Congressional Leadership Award, 2013
APS, George E. Brown Jr. Science, Engineering and Technology Leadership Award, 2011
Rep. Edward Markey
D-MA
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2012
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, public praise for resolution urging the U.S. Postal Service to issue a stamp to fund Alzheimer’s disease research at NIH, 2011
Rep. Richard Neal
D-MA
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2013
Rep. David Price
D-NC
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, Honorary Member, 2011
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2002
American Chemical Society, Public Service Award, 2002
Rep. Dave Reichert
R-WA
BESC, Congressional Leadership Award, 2013
UMR, Profile of Promise, 2011
Rep. Mike Rogers
R-MI
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2012
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2007
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
D-CA
UMR, Profile of Promise, 2011
Rep. Allyson Schwartz
D-PA
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2012
BIO, Legislator of the Year, 2008
Rep. James Sensenbrenner
R-WI
AUTM, inaugural Public Official Award, 2010
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 1999
Rep. Louise Slaughter
D-NY
The Science Coalition, Champion of Science, 2013
NIH, Office of Research on Women's Health, Visionary for Women's Health Research award marking ORWH's tenth anniversary, 2000
American Public Health Association, Distinguished Public Health Legislator, 1997