Franklin Institute Awards
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.[1] 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.[2] 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".[3] Some of the noted past laureates include Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking.[3] Some of the 21st century laureates of the institute awards are Bill Gates,[4] James P. Allison, Indra Nooyi, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Blackburn, George Church,[5] Robert S. Langer, and Alex Gorsky.[6]
"Bower Award" redirects here. For the New Zealand award for artists, see Olivia Spencer Bower Award.Franklin Institute Awards
Benjamin Franklin Medals[edit]
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, and Physics. The first Benjamin Franklin Medals were presented in 1998.[2]
Medalists are selected by a Committee on Science and the Arts (CS&A), composed of local academics and professionals from the Philadelphia area.[7]