Prizes
The Çï¿ûÊÓƵ awards 11 prizes that recognize excellence in the sciences, the humanities, and commitment to the ideals of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ. Two or three are awarded every year.
The most recent recipient of each prize is listed below and more information about the prizes and past winners are available on prize-specific pages.
Amory Prize
Given since 1940, this prize recognizes major contributions to reproductive biology. The prize is supported by an endowment fund established by Mr. Francis Amory.
In 2023, the Amory Prize was awarded to Haifan Lin for contributing to knowledge and progress in areas of developmental biology and stem cell research.
- More about the Amory Prize.
Distinguished Leadership Award
First awarded in 2016, this award recognizes individuals who exemplify a legacy of leadership and a dedication to the founding ideals of the American Çï¿ûÊÓƵ.
David Oxtoby, who served as the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ's President from 2019 to 2024, is the most recent recipient of the award for his dedication and service to the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ.
- More about the Distinguished Leadership Award.
Award for Excellence in Public Policy
This award, established in 2018, is presented to individuals for their distinction, independence, effectiveness, and work on behalf of the common good. The inaugural recipient was Marian Wright Edelman.
- More about the Award for Excellence in Public Policy and Public Affairs.
Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies
Established in 1975 to recognize superior humanistic scholarship and renamed in 2017, the Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies complements the Emerson-Thoreau Medal for achievement in literature.
In 2023, Kwame Anthony Appiah received the award for his contributions in the areas of philosophy, political theory, and cultural criticism.
- More about the Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies.
Emerson-Thoreau Medal
Established in 1958 to give special recognition to distinguished achievement in the broad field of literature, the prize is awarded to an individual for his or her total literary achievement rather than for a specific work.
Maxine Hong Kingston received the award in 2023.
- More about the Emerson-Thoreau Medal.
Founders Award
Established in 2005, the 225th anniversary year of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ, this award honors individuals and institutions that have advanced the ideals of the founders of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ.
The most recent award recipient is Louise Henry Bryson.
- More about the Founders Award.
Rumford Prize
Established in 1796 by a gift of Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, this is one of the oldest scientific prizes in the United States. The prize recognizes contributions to the fields of heat and light, broadly interpreted.
The award was most recently given to Charles L. Bennett for his contributions to the field of cosmology.
- More about the Rumford Prize.
Sarton Award for History of Science
Presented for the first time in 1999, this award supports early-career historians of science whose work demonstrates exceptional promise. The award was established through a fund created by Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Fellow May Sarton to honor the memory of her father, Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Fellow George Sarton.
The most recent recipient of the Sarton Award for History of Science is Jenny Bulstrode.
- More about the Sarton Award for History of Science.
Sarton Award for Poetry
Presented for the first time in 2008, this prize recognizes emerging poets of exceptional promise and distinguished achievement. It was established to honor the memory of longtime Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Fellow May Sarton, a poet, novelist, and teacher who during her career encouraged the work of young poets.
dg nanouk okpik is the most recent recipient.
- More about the Sarton Award for Poetry.
Scholar-Patriot Award
First presented in 2000, this award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of individuals who share the commitment of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ’s founders, a group of patriots who devoted their lives to promoting the arts and sciences in service to the nation.
The most recent recipient of the Scholar-Patriot Award is Nancy C. Andrews.
- More about the Scholar-Patriot Award.
Talcott Parsons Prize
First awarded in 1974, this prize was established to honor the noted sociologist and former president of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ. The prize is awarded for contributions to the social sciences (broadly defined). An effort is made to rotate the prize among the various social science disciplines, including law, history, and linguistics.
Robert Putnam most recently received this prize in 2023.
- More about the Talcott Parsons Prize.