Awards, Fellowships, and Grants
For decades, the Mensa Foundation has presented annual awards, fellowships, and educational grants to individuals around the world. Some awards are specifically for Mensa members who contribute to the Foundation’s mission, but others recognize the advancement of knowledge and education without membership requirements.
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- Awards for Excellence in Research
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Presented annually, the Mensa Foundation’s Awards for Excellence in Research celebrate groundbreaking investigations in the disciplines of intelligence, intellectual giftedness, and related fields.
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- Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement
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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 American Mensa.
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- Dissertation Mini-Grant
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The Mensa Foundation’s Dissertation Mini-Grant provides a $2,500 award to doctoral students for dissertation research related to intelligence or gifted education. This grant supports the development of a research agenda focused on intelligence or giftedness among future leaders and researchers who are early in their careers.
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- Distinguished Teacher Award
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The Mensa Foundation's Distinguished Teacher Award recognizes a teacher, professor, or instructor at any educational level who has had an especially positive influence on the education or life of a Mensa member. Nominations due March 1.
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- Early Career Researcher Mini-Grant
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The Mensa Foundation’s Early Career Researcher Mini-Grant provides a $2,500 award to post-doctoral researchers or early career faculty for research related to intelligence, creativity, or gifted education. The program seeks proposals for research projects regarding those who are gifted or twice exceptional or on human intelligence or creativity.
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- Gifted Education Fellowship
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The Foundation’s Gifted Education Fellowship is intended to help teachers to acquire a graduate degree in gifted education or a closely related field from an accredited institution of higher education. The Fellowship has a value of $5,000 per year, renewable for one year.
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- Intellectual Benefits to Society Award
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The Intellectual Benefits to Society Award program recognizes the application of Mensans' intellectual abilities that result in tangible benefit to society.
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- Laura Joyner Award
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The Laura Joyner Award is given to recognize outstanding work, theoretical or applied, in the areas of education, literacy, work with the gifted, or identifying threats to, or preventing loss of, intelligence.
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- Lifetime Achievement Award
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The Mensa Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award is presented every other year in recognition of a lifetime of contributions to the field of intelligence and related subjects.
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- Mensa Foundation Prize
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The Mensa Foundation Prize is awarded biennially for the best scientific discovery in the field of intelligence or creativity. Endowed by the estate of Kenneth Douglas Thomson, the award includes a $10,000 prize, personal plaque and medal.
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- Mensa Press Award
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The Mensa Press Award recognizes excellence in writing about human intelligence and giftedness; it is designed to encourage reporters and editors to spread the latest news about intelligence to lay audiences.