Eminent American scientist and Christian apologist Francis Collins, founder of the faith and science think tank BioLogos, has been awarded the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Public Welfare Medal.
In a Jan. 22 announcement, the National Academy of Sciences said Collins was honored for his pioneering research in human genetics and his leadership of the Human Genome Project.
The NAS Public Welfare Medal is the Academy’s most prestigious award, first established in 1914, and is presented annually to “honor extraordinary use of science for the public good.”
“Francis Collins has helped shape the way we conduct large-scale biomedical science,” said National Academy of Sciences Home Secretary Nancy Andrews. “His visionary leadership of the Human Genome Project, combined with decades of public service, exemplifies the profound ways science can improve human health and welfare.”
Collins’ scientific and public service career has advanced understanding of human disease, strengthened ethical frameworks in genetics, fostered public trust in science, and guided national and global responses to health crises, according to the NAS.
“Through his scientific insight, ethical leadership, and public advocacy, Dr. Collins has strengthened public trust in science and demonstrated how discovery can serve humanity,” said National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt. “His career is a model of scientific excellence applied for the common good.”
Collins became director of the National Center for Human Genome Research at the NIH in 1993, where he took charge of the Human Genome Project, involving hundreds of scientists. This led to the first complete human genome sequence, “a landmark achievement that has transformed biomedical research, enabled precision medicine, and laid the groundwork for therapies targeting a wide range of genetic diseases,” the NAS release said.
“Collins helped define how large-scale science could be organized, creating a collaborative framework that balanced scientific ambition, technical innovation, and ethical responsibility,” the NAS release said.
“He oversaw sequencing strategies for model organisms, coordinated international research efforts, and implemented the Bermuda Principles, which required daily public sharing of genome sequence data—an unprecedented commitment to transparency.”
Collins also played a key role in developing the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which protects people from misuse of their genetic information.
As director of the NIH from 2009 to 2021, Collins “led the agency through three presidential administrations, strengthening federal biomedical research and guiding responses to critical public health challenges, including the Ebola epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic,” the NAS release said.
“He championed funding for Alzheimer’s research, initiated the BRAIN Initiative to advance neuroscience, launched the Cancer Moonshot program to accelerate cancer research and treatment, and pioneered a major initiative in precision health that included the launch of All of Us, the largest longitudinal cohort study ever mounted by the NIH,” the release said.
Collins served as special advisor to former U.S. President Joe Biden from 2022 to 2023, co-chairing the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and spearheading a national initiative to eliminate hepatitis C.
Collins received numerous honors, including election to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Templeton Prize, and election as a foreign member of the Royal Society (UK).
The Public Welfare Medal will be presented to Collins during the Academy’s 163rd annual meeting on April 26.
