The Franklin Institute Awards (or Benjamin Franklin Medal) is an American science and engineering award presented by the Franklin Institute, a science museum in Philadelphia. The Franklin Institute awards comprises the Benjamin Franklin Medals in seven areas of science and engineering, the Bower Awards and Prize for Achievement in Science, and the Bower Award for Business Leadership. Since 1824, the Institute has recognized "world-changing scientists, engineers, inventors, and industrialists—all of whom reflect Benjamin Franklin's spirit of curiosity, ingenuity, and innovation". Some of the noted past awardees include Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking. Some of the Institute's 21st century awardees are Bill Gates, James P. Allison, Indra Nooyi, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Blackburn, George Church, Robert S. Langer, and Alex Gorsky.
Benjamin Franklin Medals In 1998, the Benjamin Franklin Medals were created by reorganizing all of the endowed medals presented by The Franklin Institute at that time into a group of medals recognizing seven areas of study:
Chemistry Computer and Cognitive Science Earth and Environmental Science Electrical Engineering Life Science Mechanical Engineering Physics
The first Benjamin Franklin Medals were presented in 1998. Medalists are selected by a Committee on Science and the Arts (CS&A), composed of local academics and professionals from the Philadelphia area.
Bower Awards The Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science and the Bower Award for Business Leadership are the newest awards, established by a $7.5 million bequest from Henry Bower in 1988. The annual Bower Prizes are US$250,000 each.
Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award The Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award is presented to an early-career investigator for a transformative discovery, development, innovation, or invention in science or engineering. The focus annually rotates through seven disciplines: chemistry, civil and mechanical engineering, computer and cognitive science, earth and environmental science, electrical engineering, life science, and physics. Recipients are presented with a crystal award a cash honorarium.
Former awards
Elliott Cresson Medal Frank P. Brown Medal Franklin Medal George R. Henderson Medal Howard N. Potts Medal John Price Wetherill Medal John Scott Medal Stuart Ballantine Medal
List of laureates
The following table lists laureates of the Benjamin Franklin Medal (including the Bower Prizewinners), from 1998 onwards.Recipients are listed in a database on The Franklin Institute website:
Year Name Field 1998 Bower Award for Business Leadership 1998 Engineering 1998 Physics 1998 Engineering 1998 Life Science1998 Physics, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 1998 Physics1998 Physics1998 Chemistry1999 Earth Science, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science1999 Computer and Cognitive Science1999 Computer and Cognitive Science1999 Chemistry1999 Life Science1999 Physics1999 Computer and Cognitive Science 1999 Physics1999 Bower Award for Business Leadership 1999 Computer and Cognitive Science2000 Computer and Cognitive Science2000 Physics2000 Mechanical Engineering2000 Earth Science2000 Chemistry2000 Physics2000 Electrical Engineering2000 Mechanical Engineering2000 Life Science, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2000 Life Science, Bower Award for Business Leadership 2000 Physics2001 Electrical Engineering, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2001 Life Science2001 Physics2001 Bower Award for Business Leadership 2001 Computer and Cognitive Science2001 Chemistry2001 Earth Science2001 Electrical Engineering2002 Chemistry2002 Materials Science, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2002 Life Science2002 Physics2002 Bower Award for Business Leadership2002 Engineering2002 Earth Science2002 Computer and Cognitive Science2003 Electrical Engineering2003 Physics2003 Physics2003 Life Science2003 Chemistry2003 Physics2003 Engineering, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2003 Computer and Cognitive Science2003 Earth Science2003 Earth Science2003 Engineering2004 Mechanical Engineering2004 Life Science, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2004 Bower Award for Business Leadership 2004 Chemistry2004 Computer and Cognitive Science2004 Physics2004 Electrical Engineering2005 Life Science2005 Computer and Cognitive Science2005 Chemistry, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2005 Physics2005 Earth Science2005 Electrical Engineering2005 Bower Award for Business Leadership 2006 Engineering2006 Chemistry2006 Electrical Engineering, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science2006 Earth Science2006 Computer and Cognitive Science2006 Life Science2006 Physics2006 Physics2006 Bower Award for Business Leadership2006 Earth Science2007 Bower Award for Business Leadership 2007 Chemistry2007 Computer and Cognitive Science, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2007 Electrical Engineering2007 Materials Science2007 Physics2007 Earth Science2007 Physics2007 Life Science2008 Life Science2008 Life Science2008 Earth Science2008 Chemistry2008 Physics2008 Computer and Cognitive Science, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2008 Computer and Cognitive Science2008 Electrical Engineering2008 Life Science2008 Bower Award for Business Leadership2008 Electrical Engineering2009 Computer and Cognitive Science2009 Life Science2009 Physics, Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2009 Earth Science2009 Bower Award for Business Leadership2009 Engineering2009 Chemistry2009 Electrical Engineering2010 Physics2010 Computer and Cognitive Science2010 Life Science2010 Electrical Engineering2010 Mechanical Engineering2010 Chemistry2010 Electrical Engineering2010 Physics2010 Physics2010 Earth and Environmental Science, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2010 Bower Award for Business Leadership2011 Computer and Cognitive Science2011 Earth and Environmental Science2011 Physics2011 Electrical Engineering2011 Mechanical Engineering2011 Chemistry2011 Life Science, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2011Bower Award for Business Leadership2012 Computer and Cognitive Science2012 Earth and Environmental Science2012 Earth and Environmental Science2012 Life Science2012 Electrical Engineering2012 Physics2012 Mechanical Engineering2012 Chemistry, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2012Bower Award for Business Leadership2013 Chemistry2013 Computer and Cognitive Science2013 Earth and Environmental Science2013 Life Science2013 Mechanical Engineering2013 Physics2013 Bower Award for Business Leadership2013Electrical Engineering, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2014 Physics2014 Chemistry2014 Earth and Environmental Science2014 Electrical Engineering2014 Electrical Engineering2014 Life Science2014 Mechanical Engineering2014 Computer and Cognitive Science, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2014 Bower Award for Business Leadership2015 Chemistry2015 Computer and Cognitive Science2015 Earth and Environmental Science2015 Electrical Engineering2015 Life Science2015 Physics2015 Physics2015 Physics2015 Bower Award for Business Leadership2015 Mechanical Engineering, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2016 Chemistry2016 Computer and Cognitive Science2016 Earth and Environmental Science2016 Electrical Engineering2016 Life Science2016 Mechanical Engineering 2016 Bower Award for Business Leadership 2016 Physics, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2017 Chemistry2017 Chemistry2017 Computer and Cognitive Science2017 Electrical Engineering2017 Life Science2017 Materials Science and Engineering2017 Physics2017 Earth and Environmental Science, Bower Award for Achievement in Science2017 Bower Award for Business Leadership2018 Earth and Environmental Science2018 Electrical Engineering2018 Mechanical Engineering2018 Physics2018 Chemistry2018 Computer and Cognitive Science2018Computer and Cognitive Science 2018 Life Science, Bower Award for Achievement in Science 2018 Bower Award for Business Leadership2019 Physics2019 Materials Engineering2019 Life Science2019 Electrical Engineering2019 Earth and Environmental Science2019Computer and Cognitive Science 2019 Chemistry, Bower Award for Achievement in Science 2019 Bower Award for Business Leadership 2021 Chemistry 2021 Chemistry 2021 Physics 2021 Physics 2021 Life Science 2021 Mechanical Engineering2021 Earth and Environmental Science 2021Computer and Cognitive Science 2021 Bower Award for Achievement in Science 2021 Bower Award for Business Leadership2022Sallie W. ChisholmEarth and Environmental Science2022Sheldon WeinbaumBiomedical Engineering2022Carol V. RobinsonChemistry2022Russell D. DupuisElectrical Engineering2022P. Daniel DapkusElectrical Engineering2022Katalin KarikóLife Science2022Drew WeissmanLife Science2022Edward C. StonePhysics2023R. Lawrence EdwardsEarth and Environmental Science2023Nader EnghetaElectrical Engineering2023Kenneth C. FrazierBower Award for Business Leadership2023Elaine FuchsLife Science2023Philip KimPhysics2023Barbara H. LiskovComputer and Cognitive Science2023Deb NiemeierCivil and Mechanical Engineering and Bower Award for Achievement in Science2023Monika Schleier-SmithPhysics2023Richard ZareChemistry2024Mary C. BoyceMechanical Engineering2024Joanne ChoryLife Science2024Paula T. HammondChemistry2024Paul D.N. HebertEarth and Environmental Science2024Robert M. MetcalfeElectrical Engineering2024Gabriela S. Schlau-CohenChemistry and Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award2024Lisa SuBower Award for Business Leadership2024David A. WeitzPhysics and Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science2024Janet F. WerkerComputer and Cognitive Science2025Muyinatu A. Lediju BellElectrical Engineering and Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award2025Steven M. BlockLife Science2025William James DallyComputer and Cognitive Science2025Jamie DimonBower Award for Business Leadership2025Naomi J. HalasChemistry2025John W. HutchinsonMechanical Engineering2025John P. PerdewPhysics2025Kurt Edward PetersenElectrical Engineering2025Katharine N. SudingEarth and Environmental Science and Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science
See also
List of general science and technology awards
References
External links The Franklin Institute. Winners. Benjamin Franklin Medal winners. YouTube playlist of all Franklin Institute Award Winners