Email Print Share

News Release 12-202

National Science Foundation Director Selected as 2013 Franklin Institute Laureate

Subra Suresh recognized for his mechanical engineering and materials science research

Photo of Subra Suresh, director of National Science Foundation.

NSF Director Subra Suresh


October 22, 2012

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has selected National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Subra Suresh to receive the 2013 Benjamin Franklin medal for his research in mechanical engineering and materials science. The medal will be presented in April as part of the Franklin Institute's celebration of science, technology and business leadership.

Suresh, who is on leave from MIT where he holds the title of Vannevar Bush Professor of Engineering, was selected for "outstanding contributions to our understanding of the mechanical behavior of materials in applications ranging from large structures down to the atomic level. This research also showed how deformation of biological cells can be linked to human disease."

He is one of eight laureates chosen for the 2013 Franklin Institute awards.

According to the Franklin Institute, the list of Franklin Institute Awards Laureates is a roster of science and technology's most important and influential names over the last two centuries, men and women who have deepened human knowledge at both the basic and the applied levels. This list includes such luminaries as Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Rudolph Diesel, Marie and Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Jane Goodall, Orville Wright, Stephen Hawking, and Jacques Cousteau.

Some 113 Franklin Institute Laureates have been awarded the Nobel Prizes to date.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Dana Topousis, NSF, (703) 292-7750, email: dtopousi@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

mail icon Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov