Celebrating Excellence: NSF Honors the 2023 National Medal of Science and Technology Awardees!

President Joe Biden announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The awardees were celebrated during an esteemed ceremony at the White House last Friday. These distinguished accolades acknowledge remarkable contributions that have propelled knowledge, fostered advancement, and addressed the most pressing global challenges while highlighting the crucial role of research and innovation in cultivating a more promising, sustainable future.

Established in 1959 by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Medal of Science honors exceptional contributions across various scientific fields, recognizing pioneering discoveries and innovations aimed at solving humanity’s most critical issues. In a similar vein, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, instituted in 1980 by the U.S. Congress, acknowledges visionaries whose innovations have transformed industries, fostered economic growth, and bolstered the nation’s global competitiveness.

“As we honor these remarkable recipients, we are reminded of the limitless possibilities that science and technology hold to enhance lives and influence the future,” stated NSF Chief Science Officer Karen Marrongelle. “NSF is proud to have supported many of these pioneers whose innovative efforts exemplify the potential of curiosity, creativity, and teamwork in driving advancements and addressing humanity’s greatest challenges.”

This year’s honorees include several prominent figures with connections to NSF. John Dabiri, Feng Zhang, and Jennifer Doudna are former laureates of NSF’s prestigious Alan T. Waterman Award, which celebrates extraordinary early-career scientists and engineers for their transformative impacts. Keivan Stassun, a current member of the National Science Board and a past member of NSF’s Committee for Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, has played a significant role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields.

These awardees exemplify NSF’s persistent commitment to nurturing pioneering research, developing talent, and fostering innovation throughout the scientific and engineering landscape. NSF has supported, at various stages of their careers, all 14 recipients of the National Medal of Science and eight of the nine recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

The awardees are:  

National Medal of Science  

• Richard B. Alley, Pennsylvania State University.
• Larry Martin Bartels, Vanderbilt University.
• Bonnie L. Bassler, Princeton University.
• Angela Marie Belcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Helen M. Blau, Stanford University.
• Emery Neal Brown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Ingrid Daubechies, Duke University.
• Cynthia Dwork, Harvard University.
• R. Lawrence Edwards, University of Minnesota.
• Wendy L. Freedman, The University of Chicago.
• G. David Tilman, University of Minnesota.
• Teresa Kaye Woodruff, Michigan State University.
• John O. Dabiri, California Institute of Technology.
• Keivan G. Stassun, Vanderbilt University.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation 

• Martin Cooper.
• Eric Fossum, Dartmouth University.
• Victor B. Lawrence.
• Jennifer Doudna, University of California, Berkeley.
• Kristina M. Johnson.
• Feng Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Paula Hammond, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• David R. Walt, Harvard University.
• Paul G. Yock, Stanford University.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation Organization Recipients