[2] Weaver was born in Lancaster, Ohio in 1909 and died at his home in San Clemente, California, aged 68.

Weaver, acting as the Director of Research at the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, now known as the March of Dimes, from 1946 to 1953, supported Salk's work with a sense of urgency for the development of the Polio vaccine.

[5] However, his support of Salk's vaccine was considered to be paramount to the early end of the polio epidemic.

Weaver dedicated his time and research into finding the main source of polio in order to develop a vaccine that would put an end to the disease.

The award includes salary and research funding for a period of five years and is commonly given through universities.