Chancellor presents Rep. Kevin Yoder with national science advocacy award for support of research

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS — The University of Kansas presented a Champion of Science Award to U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder on Monday in recognition of his support for federal funding for basic scientific research.

The award is given on behalf of the Science Coalition to members of Congress in recognition of their commitment to funding the basic research that keeps the United States at the forefront of scientific and medical discovery and technological innovation. 

Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little presented the award on the KU Medical Center campus, along with KU Medical Center Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Douglas Girod and Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center. Dr. Douglas Lowy, acting director of the National Cancer Institute, was a special guest at the ceremony.

“Rep. Yoder’s critical support for the KU Cancer Center’s successful NCI designation effort and his tireless advocacy on behalf of significant additional funding for federal funding for research make him an ideal candidate for this honor,” Gray-Little said. “He clearly understands the importance of maintaining America’s role as a leader in scientific innovation, and we appreciate all he does for Kansas and for the nation.”

“I’m honored to receive the Champion of Science Award,” Yoder said. “Diseases know no political parties or regional differences. They affect us all indiscriminately. That's why we need to keep fighting to get our researchers every tool they need to find cures. That’s why I’m going to continue to champion this cause so that we can lower the cost of health care for everyone and, most importantly, save lives."”

“Representative Yoder has a strong history of critical support for scientific and medical research and has a deep appreciation for the benefits that it can provide to patients and their families. He has been a longtime champion of our efforts to obtain NCI designation, and his advocacy in support of the pursuit of scientific knowledge stands out among his peers. He is a natural fit for this award, and I am pleased he is accepting it at KU Medical Center,” Jensen said.

The Science Coalition’s Champion of Science Award recognizes 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. Yoder joins a distinguished group of approximately 80 current and former members of Congress who have received this award since 1999.

The Science Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of the nation’s leading public and private research universities, 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. Learn more at www.sciencecoalition.org.