Awards & Recognition
Commitment to Excellence
Lincoln Laboratory has garnered numerous accolades for its technical accomplishments; partnerships with government, academia, and industry; and technology transfer efforts. Our staff are consistently recognized not only by their colleagues but also by outside organizations for their outstanding contributions to their fields and advancement of technologies benefitting the nation and the world. These awards and honors, a select few of which are featured below, reflect the Laboratory’s commitment to excellence.
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Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service
On its 25th and 50th anniversaries, Lincoln Laboratory received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in recognition of its distinguished technical innovation and scientific discoveries. This medal is the second highest award presented by the Secretary of Defense to honor extensive contributions, assistance, or support to U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) functions.
"The Laboratory’s numerous contributions to the development of critical defense capabilities enhanced the nation’s security posture and provided United States forces a decisive advantage. Lincoln Laboratory’s ability to pioneer long-lasting contributions to the development of advanced technologies, and the successful transition of these technologies to industry, strengthen the national security industrial technology base."
— Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 2002 award citation
U.S. Air Force "Superior" Security Rating
Lincoln Laboratory has received Superior security ratings from the U.S. Air Force for 19 consecutive years. This rating, the highest that can be awarded under the DoD's National Industrial Security Program, represents the Laboratory’s commitment to safeguarding sensitive and classified information. Less than six percent of DoD organizations receive a Superior rating each year.
R&D 100 Awards
These awards are given annually by R&D World to recognize the 100 most technologically significant innovations introduced during the previous year. A panel of subject-matter experts and the editors of R&D World choose the recipients from among hundreds of nominations. Since 2010, Lincoln Laboratory has received 101 R&D 100 Awards for technologies developed either solely by researchers and scientists at the Laboratory or in collaboration with colleagues from the government, academia, or industry.
Professional Society Honors
Many of our staff are recognized for their contributions to science and technology through honors, awards, and elevation to Fellow status in national and international professional societies.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Awards
Each year, Lincoln Laboratory recognizes the outstanding achievements of its technical and administrative staff members through five awards for Technical Excellence, Early Career Technical Achievement, Best Paper and Best Invention, and Administrative and Support Excellence.
MIT Excellence Awards
The MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal annually acknowledge the extraordinary efforts made by members of the MIT community toward fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of the Institute.