WASHINGTON, D.C . – The Golden Goose Award, which spotlights silly sounding or odd federal basic research that ultimately benefited society, seek nominations to recognize the 2026 awardees.
In case you missed it, we recently awarded NIH- and NSF-funded research that led to:
• Testicular Cancer Treatment : Researchers explored electric fields affecting cell division in E. coli bacteria that inadvertently led to the drug cisplatin, which has resulted in a 90% survival rate (up from 10%) for patients with testicular3 cancer — largely giving affected men aged 15-35 a new lease on life.
• Disease Diagnostics : The “father of modern cell biology” who studied nature’s oddities (e.g., pond scum and frog egg cells) informed disease diagnostics and mentored award-winning scientists, including a Nobel Prize winner.
We work closely with awardees’ institutions to highlight their work , including producing a documentary video and pitching articles to news outlets . Along with mentions in the New York Times and Radiolab (an NPR podcast), awardees have received coverage in Politico , Forbes , The Scientist , and local news stations.
For more information, email the Co-chairs of the Golden Goose Award Steering Committee at info@goldengooseaward.org