Howard Gardner became the first psychologist to receive a MacArthur Prize Fellowship. This highly prestigious award, known colloquially as the "genius grant" is awarded "to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction."

Gardner is renowned for his groundbreaking theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) first documented in his hugely influential book 'Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences' in 1983.