Golden Goose Awards

Zhen Xu, a researcher at the University of Michigan's biomedical engineering department, has received the Golden Goose Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The award honors federally funded research whose unexpected or seemingly obscure work led to significant societal benefits. Xu's recognition highlights the value of curiosity-driven science, though details of the specific research being honored were not immediately available.

The 2026 Golden Goose Awards have been announced, honouring research that began as obscure or seemingly trivial basic science and went on to produce major real-world benefits. The awards highlight how curiosity-driven work often underpins breakthroughs in medicine and technology, and supporters use the annual event to argue for continued public investment in fundamental research.