As one of the oldest and most prestigious comprehensive science and technology awards programs in the world, The Franklin Institute Awards Program has honored thousands of scientists, engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs since its inception in 1824. Previous Franklin Institute Laureates include luminaries such as Marie and Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking, Benoit Mandelbrot, Gordon Moore, Steven Squyres, and Frank Lloyd Wright. The 2010 program includes the Benjamin Franklin Medals in six fields of science and engineering, supported by 20 endowed funds, and the Bower Awards for Achievement in Science and Business Leadership, made possible by a bequest by the late Philadelphia chemical manufacturer Henry Bower. The Bower Award for Achievement in Science includes a $250,000 prize, one of the most significant scientific prizes in America.

The Franklin Institute Awards Program is a fundamental part of the Institute's mission to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. By celebrating outstanding achievements, the Awards Program highlights the remarkable promise of science and technology. Moreover, every dollar raised through the Awards Ceremony and Dinner underwrites the Institute's efforts to make science and technology accessible and fun for more than 350,000 school children per year.