Awards

Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement Award

Award Profile:

The Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement is the highest scientific award from the American Diabetes Association® (ADA). Given in memory of Sir Frederick Banting, a medical scientist, doctor, and Nobel laureate who is noted as one of the key investigators in the discovery of insulin, the Banting Medal is awarded annually to honor a highly meritorious career achievement in the field of diabetes research. 

Criteria for Selection (Candidates can be peer or self-nominated): 

  • Nominee will have demonstrated highly original, sustained and reproducible scholarship that has made major contributions to the understanding of diabetes, its treatment and/or prevention
  • Both translational and basic science contributions will be considered.
  • Nominee must have MD, PhD, MD/PhD degree or equivalent. 
  • Both U.S. and non-U.S. residents are eligible for award. 
  • Contributions and volunteer service to both national and international diabetes organizations and the broader diabetes community may also be taken into consideration.   

Lecture/Publication of Lecture:

  • Recipient will deliver the Banting Lecture at the 86th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, LA on June 5–8, 2026. (Must be presented in person.)
  • Recipient will be offered the opportunity to publish their lecture in an ADA scientific journal.

Honorarium/Travel/Registration:

  • The recipient receives a $20,000 honorarium.
  • Award includes two round-trip coach airfares and hotel accommodations for the duration of the meeting. 
  • Includes complimentary registration to Scientific Sessions.

2026 Nomination/Submission Process:

  • Nominations must be submitted using the electronic nomination form. All submissions must be received on or before 8:00 p.m. ET on September 19, 2025. 
  • Nominations are accepted from any ADA professional member.

All Banting nominations must have the following documents uploaded as one PDF file:

  • Letter of nomination/support, whether peer or self-nominated must be no more than 400 words and signed by no more than three3 individuals. Letter of nomination/support should address criteria for selection.
  • Nominee’s biography.
  • Nominee’s CV with career and publication highlights.
  • Annotated list of the nominee’s 10 most significant publications.

Questions? Contact Gedeon Topacio, program manager of research & scientific programs, at gtopacio@diabetes.org.

Selection:

The recipient is chosen by the National Scientific & Health Care Achievement Awards Committee and approved by the Executive Committee of the American Diabetes Association, February 2026.

2025 Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement Award

Steven E. Kahn, MB, ChB   

Previous Banting Medal Recipients and Lecturers

2024 Prof. Rury R. Holman, MB.ChB., FRCP (Lond.), FMedSci
2023 Matthias Tschöp, MD    
2022 Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft    
2021 Jens Juul Holst, MD, DrMedSci    
2020 Ele Ferrannini, MD    
2019 Stephen P. O’Rahilly, MD     
2018 Gerald I. Shulman, MD, PhD, FACP, MACE    
2017 Domenico Accili, MD    
2016 Barbara B. Kahn, MD    
2015 Philipp E. Scherer, PhD    
2014 Daniel J. Drucker, MD    
2013 Graeme I. Bell, PhD    
2012 Bruce M. Spiegelman, PhD    
2011 Barbara E. Corkey, PhD    
2010 Robert A. Rizza, MD
2009 George S. Eisenbarth, MD, PhD
2008 Ralph A. DeFronzo, MD
2007 Robert S. Sherwin, MD
2006 Richard N. Bergman, PhD
2005 Jeffrey S. Flier, MD
2004 Michael A. Brownlee, MD
2003 Aldo A. Rossini, MD
2002 Samuel W. Cushman, PhD
2001 J. Denis McGarry, PhD
2000 Michael P. Czech, PhD
1999 Anthony Cerami, PhD
1998 Jerrold M. Olefsky, MD
1997  Alan D. Cherrington, PhD
1996 Peter H. Bennett, MB, PhD
1995 Franz M. Matschinsky, MD, PhD
1994 Philip E. Cryer, MD
1993 C. Ronald Kahn, MD
1992 Gian Franco Bottazzo, MD
1991 Mladen Vranic, MD
1990 Daniel Porte, Jr., MD

1989 Ora Rosen, MD
1988 Gerald M. Reaven, MD
1987 Joseph Larner, MD, PhD
1986 Albert I. Winegrad, MD
1985 Bjorn Nerup, MD
1984 Daniel W. Foster, MD
1983 Arthur H. Rubenstein, MD
1982 Jesse Roth, MD
1981 Lelio Orci, MD
1980 Norbert Freinkel, MD
1979 Charles R. Park, MD
1978 Stefan S. Fajans, MD
1977 David M. Kipnis, MD
1976 Donald F. Steiner, MD
1975 Roger H. Unger, MD
1974 Albert E. Renold, MD
1973 Arnold Lazarow, MD, PhD
1972 Dorothy C. Hodgkin, PhD
1971 George F. Cahill, Jr., MD
1971 William R. Kirtley, MD
1970 Paul E. Lacy, MD
1969 Robert L. Jackson, MD
1968 Arthur R. Colwell, MD
1967 Alexander Marble, MD
1966 Robert H. Williams, MD
1965 Solomon A. Berson, MD; I. Arthur Mirsky, MD
1964 Francis D.W. Lukens, MD; Moses Barron, MD; Joseph P. Hoet, MD; Leland S. McKittrick, MD; Peter J. Maloney, PhD; David A. Scott, PhD; Ernst Wertheimer, MD
1963 Bernardo A. Houssay, MD; Garfield G. Duncan, MD
1962 A. Baird Hastings, PhD
1961 Rachmiel Levine, MD
 

1960 Priscilla White, MD; J.P. Collip, MD
1959 George W. Thorn, MD; E.T. Bell, MD
1958 Jerome W. Conn, MD;  William H. Olmsted, MD
1957 DeWitt Stetten, Jr., MD, PhD; John R. Murlin, PhD, DSc
1956 William C. Stadie, MD; Louis Harry Newburgh, MD
1955 Carl F. Cori, MD; Eugene F. DuBois, MD
1954 Sir Henry H. Dale
1953 Shields Warren, MD; Walter R. Campbell, MD; A. Almon Fletcher, MD
1952 R.R. Bensley, MD
1951 C.N.H. Long, MD
1950 F.G. Young, DCs
1949 Herbert M. Evans, MD; Frederick M. Allen, MD
1948 Rollin T. Woodyatt, MD
1947 G.H.A. Clowes, PhD
1946 25th Anniversary of Insulin Program: Bernardo A. Houssay, MD; H.C. Hagedorn, MD; R.D. Lawrence, MD; Eugene Opie, MD, University of Toronto
1944 Leonard G. Rowntree, MD
1943 Fred W. Hipwell, MD
1942 William Muhlberg, MD
1941 Elliott P. Joslin, MD