UD Acting President Nancy Targett congratulates U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, honored as a Champion of Science and presented with a commemorative Wheaties box at a Breakfeast of Champions, held Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C.

Recognizing champions

UD acting president joins in recognizing Champions of Science in U.S. Congress

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3:22 p.m., Oct. 7, 2015--Nancy M. Targett, acting president of the University of Delaware, joined university leaders and representatives from scientific societies, research organizations and higher-education associations on Oct. 7 on Capitol Hill to applaud members of Congress who are Science Coalition Champions of Science

These legislators, including U.S. Sen. Chris Coons from Delaware, have demonstrated a continuing commitment to funding the basic research that keeps the United States at the forefront of scientific and medical discovery and that fuels the nation’s innovation pipeline. The Science Coalition — a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 60 U.S. public and private research universities that includes UD — recognized Coons in a ceremony held at the University last year.

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At the Breakfast of Champions in the Kennedy Caucus Room, Allan Jones, CEO of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, provided keynote remarks. Then UD Acting President Targett, along with Bernadette Gray-Little, chancellor of the University of Kansas, and Daniel J. Bernardo, interim president of Washington State University, recognized the legislators and spoke about the importance of their leadership.  

“When the federal government invests in basic research, great things happen,” said Gray-Little. “Discoveries are made with profound implications for health, safety and quality of life. Jobs are created. The next generation of scientists, engineers, doctors, teachers and entrepreneurs is trained. And, the economy grows. This virtuous cycle only works, though, when we have members of Congress who not only understand the value of investing in science, but who are committed to making the funding of research a top concern for themselves and their colleagues.” 

“It’s easy to look back and see all of the things that federal investment in basic research has brought us,” Bernardo noted. “From smart phones to genomic medicine, federally funded research conducted at universities and national labs across the country has served as an essential catalyst. It’s much harder to look forward and know how the investments we make in scientific research today will change our future. Champions of Science have the foresight and fortitude to make research funding a priority — even in times of fiscal restraint — because they know it’s an investment in the future.” 

Targett said, “We all know that the recent history of research funding is not good. While other nations have been investing aggressively in research and education, U.S. investments have been stagnant. While other countries work to create an innovation dividend, we risk creating an American innovation deficit. This is where the leadership of our Champions of Science matters most; helping to convince your colleagues of what you know to be true: That investment in scientific research matters — not just to our health and productivity — but also to this nation’s long-term economic well-being.” 

The Science Coalition’s Champion of Science Award is given each year to a small number of members of Congress whose actions and votes consistently reflect their belief that basic scientific research, conducted at universities and national labs across the country, is essential to the nation’s ability to address pressing issues in health, security, energy and the environment, and additionally, that a strong federally supported basic research enterprise drives innovation that fuels the U.S. economy. About 80 members of Congress have received the award since 1999. 

The biennial Breakfast of Champions celebrates sitting members of Congress who have received the award and recognizes the most recent class of champions — award recipients from the past two years — with commemorative Wheaties boxes. 

Those receiving commemorative boxes included Sen. Chris Coons, Rep. Jim Cooper, Rep. John Culberson, Rep. Charlie Dent, Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Sam Farr, Rep. Dan Lipinski, Rep. Nita Lowey, Sen. Jerry Moran, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Richard Shelby.  

Other members of Congress honored at the event included Sen. Lamar Alexander, Rep. Ken Calvert, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. John Duncan, Rep. Anna Eshoo, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, Rep. Mike Honda, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Rep. Randy Hultgren, Rep. Ron Kind, Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. David Price, Sen. Pat Roberts, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Rep. Louise Slaughter, Rep. Pete Visclosky and Sen. Ron Wyden. 

About the Science Coalition

The Science Coalition is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation and drive America’s global competitiveness. More than half of U.S. economic growth since World War II can be traced to science‐driven technological innovation. 

About the University of Delaware

Tracing its heritage to 1743, the University of Delaware is a state-assisted, privately controlled institution with an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The University offers an extensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs across seven colleges. 

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UD as a research university with very high research activity — a designation held by fewer than 3 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. UD also is a 2015 recipient of the Carnegie Community Engagement classification in recognition of its deep commitment to public service. 

Photo courtesy of the Science Coalition

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