Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement

A Mensan who truly valued creativity, Copper Black left in her will a legacy funding a special annual award to recognize an outstanding creative achievement by a member of Mensa International.

This award is not given for the creativity of a person, but for a specific creative achievement that may include an invention that has been patented or otherwise demonstrated to be of practical value, or an innovation that has been implemented, at least in part, to the advantage of persons other than the nominee. The conditions of the award do not recognize achievements in the arts (graphic arts, drama, literature, music, etc.).

Make My Nomination
The deadline to nominate candidates for the Copper Black Award is March 1.

Here are a handful of examples of the kind of creativity we’re looking for:

You’re an educator. You’ve come up with a low-cost but exciting way of getting your students to learn. How did you do it?

You’re a machinist. Instead of doing the same thing you’ve been doing for years, you’ve come up with an innovative product or method that saves lives or increases efficiency.

You’re a lawyer. Your case looks hopeless, but you came up with a novel argument and voila! You’ve brought new insight to the process.

Maybe you’re a surgeon with four fingers, and you’ve devised a novel way of handling a scalpel.

If you've done anything like this, you’re eligible for the Copper Black Award. Read the guidelines and the FAQ, then submit your application. Self-nomination is encouraged.

For more information about the Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement, please contact our Foundation Director.