The Blackwell–Tapia Prize is a mathematics award that recognizes active mathematical scientists who have contributed and continue to contribute significantly to research in their fields of expertise, and served as role models for mathematical scientists and students from underrepresented minority groups or contributed in other significant ways to addressing the problem of the underrepresentation of minorities in mathematics It is presented every other year at the Blackwell-Tapia Conference, which promotes mathematical excellence by minority researchers and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Wikipedia