The Golden Goose Award
We've all seen reports that ridicule odd-sounding research projects as examples of government waste. The Golden Goose Award does the opposite. It recognizes that a valuable federally funded research project may sound funny, but its purpose is no laughing matter. Federally funded basic scientific research is the cornerstone of American innovation and essential to the nation's economic growth and global competitiveness.
In April 2012, I launched the Golden Goose Award with bipartisan colleagues and innovation-focused organizations to highlight seemingly obscure research that has led to major breakthroughs and significant societal impact. The award will honor federally funded researchers whose work, though seemingly obscure or odd-sounding when it took place, contributed to an important discovery or breakthrough, including development of life-saving medicines and treatments; game-changing social and behavioral insights; and major technological advances related to national security, energy, the environment, communications, and public health.
The Official Golden Goose Award Website
Get details on how to apply, previous winners and all things golden.
News & Media Coverage
September 17, 2012 • Golden Goose Winners Announced
September 10, 2012• Washington Post Op-Ed by Jim Cooper & Alan I. Leshner: It's time to get serious about science
April 30, 2012 •The New York Times editorial: Of Geese and Fleece
April 26, 2012 • The Washington Post on Why the Sex life of the screwwork deserves taxpayer dollars
April 25, 2012 • The Chronicle of Higher Education: Congressman's 'Golden Goose' Award Aims to Stand Proxmire's Award on Its Head
Founding organizations
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. In addition to organizing membership activities, AAAS publishes the journal Science, as well as many scientific newsletters, books and reports, and spearheads programs that raise the bar of understanding for science worldwide.
Association of American Universities (AAU): The Association of American Universities is an association of 59 preeminent U.S. research universities and two Canadian counterparts organized to develop and implement effective national and institutional policies supporting research and scholarship, graduate and professional education, undergraduate education, and public service in research universities.
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU): Founded in 1887, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A۰P۰L۰U) is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and many state public university systems. Its 219 members enroll more than 4.7 million students, award nearly one-million degrees annually, and conduct nearly two-thirds of all academic research, totaling more than $34 billion annually. As the nation's oldest higher education association, A۰P۰L۰U is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery and engagement.
Breakthrough Institute: The Breakthrough Institute is a paradigm-shifting think tank committed to modernizing liberal thought for the 21st Century. Our core values are integrity, imagination and audacity. Our goal is to accelerate the transition to a future where all the world's inhabitants can enjoy secure, free, prosperous, and fulfilling lives on an ecologically vibrant planet.
Progressive Policy Institute (PPI): The Progressive Policy Institute is an independent, innovative and high-impact D.C.-based think tank founded in 1989. As the original "idea mill" for President Bill Clinton's New Democrats, PPI has a long legacy of promoting break-the-mold ideas aimed at economic growth, national security and modern, performance-based government. Today, PPI's unique mix of political realism and policy innovation continues to make it a leading source of pragmatic and creative ideas. PPI is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.
The Science Coalition (TSC): The Science Coalition is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization of the nation's leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining strong federal funding of basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation and drive America's global competitiveness.
Task Force on American Innovation: The Task Force is a coalition of businesses and business organizations, scientific societies, and higher education associations founded in 2004 to advocate for greater federal investments for basic research in the physical sciences and engineering. The group focuses on the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Office of Science, the Department of Defense research budget, the National Institute of Standards and Technology labs at the Department of Commerce, and NASA.
