National Cancer Institute - Cancer.gov

Awards and Accolades

CCR’s remarkable staff are committed to improving the lives of cancer patients through scientific discovery. We are proud of our CCR awardees who represent a spectacular array of accomplishments.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the President of the United States on America's leading innovators.

Lasker Award

Recognizes the contributions of scientists, physicians, and public servants who have made major advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of human disease.

  • John T. Schiller and Douglas R. Lowy (2017). Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, for technological advances that enabled development of HPV vaccines for prevention of cervical cancer and other tumors caused by human papillomaviruses.
  • The NIH Clinical Center (2011) Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award, for its serving as a model institution that has transformed scientific advances into innovative therapies and provided high-quality care to patients. Several CCR medical milestones were noted in the award including: development of chemotherapy for cancer; the first use of an immunotoxin to treat a malignancy; identification of the genes that cause kidney cancer, leading to the development of six new, targeted treatments for advanced kidney cancer; the first gene therapy; the first treatment of AIDS (with AZT); and the development of tests to detect AIDS/HIV and hepatitis viruses in blood, which led to a safer blood supply.
  • Robert C. Gallo (1986). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for determining that the retrovirus now known as HIV-1 is the cause of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
  • Michael Potter (1984). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his fundamental research into the genetics of immunoglobulin molecules, paving the way for the development of hybridomas.
  • Robert C. Gallo (1982). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his pioneering studies that led to the discovery of the first human RNA tumor virus and its association with certain leukemias and lymphomas.

National Academy of Science Members

Members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

National Academy of Medicine Members
(formerly the Institute of Medicine)

Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers

The PECASE Awards are intended to recognize some of the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members

The Academy's elected members are leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to address critical challenges facing our global society.

American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows (AAAS)

Election as a Fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.

Association of American Physicians

Members of this honorific, elected society of America’s leading physician-scientists who exemplify the pinnacle of pioneering and enduring, impactful contributions to improve health.

American Society for Clinical Investigation Members

The ASCI comprises more than 2,800 physician-scientists from all medical specialties elected to the Society for their outstanding records of scholarly achievement in biomedical research. Because members must be 50 years of age or younger at the time of their election, membership reflects accomplishments by its members relatively early in their careers.

Royal Society

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship made up of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from the UK and the Commonwealth. Fellows and Foreign Members are elected for life through a peer review process on the basis of excellence in science.

Szent-Györgyi Prize

The annual prize honors scientists who have made an original discovery or breakthrough in scientific understanding that has had a lasting impact on the cancer field and a direct impact of saving people’s lives. The award serves to highlight the essential role basic research plays in understanding cancer.

AACR Academy Fellows

AACR Academy recognizes and honors distinguished scientists whose major scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer, and to leverage the expertise of the global brain trust of Fellows of the AACR Academy to advance the mission of the AACR to prevent and cure all cancers through research, education, communication, and collaboration.

AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

AACR Distinguished Public Service Award Recipients

AACR-Margaret Foti Award For Leadership and Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research Recipients

AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship

AACR Team Science Award

AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention

AACR Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research

AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship

AACR G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award Recipients

AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology

Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research

AACR James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology in Cancer Research

AACR Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Memorial Award Recipients

  • Edison T. Liu (2000)
  • Michael M. Gottesman (1992)
  • Vincent T. DeVita Jr. (director of the NCI and the National Cancer Program, a position he held until 1980-88) (1986)
  • Jeffrey Schlom (1985)
  • John D. Minna (1984)
  • Robert C. Gallo (1983)
  • Paul P. Carbone (medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute, in Bethesda, Md., from 1972 to 1976) (1977)

AACR Bruce F. Cain Memorial Award Recipients

  • Bruce A. Chabner (1998)
  • Kurt W. Kohn (1996)
  • Michael B. Sporn (1991)

Service to America Medals

The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals highlight excellence in our federal workforce and inspire other talented and dedicated individuals to go into public service.

HHS Departmental Awards

Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service

Secretary’s Award for Meritorious Service

  • Brigitte Widemann (2024)
  • Elaine Jaffe (2023) 
  • Marston Linehan (2019)
  • Ira Pastan (2009)

Career Achievement Award 

  • Andre Nussenzweig (2024)
  • Robert Yarchoan (2023)
  • Elaine Jaffe (2022) 
  • Louis Staudt (2021)
  • Thomas Waldmann (2018) deceased
  • Robert Wiltrout (2009)

Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America

  • Avelumab Team (2018) 
  • NCI-CCR Target Pediatric Cancer Genomics Team (2015)
  • Doug Lowy and John Schiller - HPV Vaccine Development Team (2009)

HHS Award for Excellence in Management

  • Melissa Bronez (2019)