APAGS and Psi Chi are committed to promoting psychological science and the needs of research-oriented students. The Junior Scientist Fellowship provides support for students entering their first year, or the first semester of their second year, of a research-oriented graduate program.
The intent of the Junior Scientist Fellowship is two-fold: to provide funding for a first- or second-year graduate level project and to provide constructive feedback to select applicants to increase their chances of achieving success on a future National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship application.
The primary intent is to recognize outstanding research-oriented students who are entering their first year (or first semester of second year) of graduate study and to help them get their research off the ground. Graduate students from research-based psychology and neuroscience programs are eligible to apply.
The second intent of this fellowship is to provide written feedback to select applicants. Many students apply for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (eligibility requirements for the NSF fellowship) without ever having applied for a research fellowship. It is our intent to provide feedback to select applicants so that they can use that feedback to strengthen their NSF graduate fellowship application.
Funds
Funds for this $1,000 fellowship must be used to support direct research costs. These funds can be used to pay participants, purchase essential equipment or software, acquire books or instruction manuals critical to one's line of research, pay fees to publish at open-access journals, or for any other direct research cost. The funds cannot be used for indirect costs such as travel, personal computer or class textbooks. The funds can be used for any direct research costs in a student's first year (or second year, if submitting in the summer prior to one's first year) of graduate school and do not need to be limited to the research discussed in the research essay.
Eligibility
This grant is available only to students who are entering their first year, or the first semester of their second year, of a research-oriented masters or doctoral program in fall 2013. Students that have completed more than 12 months in a graduate program are not eligible. Students entering into programs with a practice component are eligible but should describe their graduate level research intentions in the personal statement essay. To be eligible, one must be a member of APAGS and a member of Psi Chi. This means that students entering their first year of graduate school must have joined Psi Chi as an undergraduate; students entering their second year of graduate school may have joined as undergraduates or during their second semester of graduate school.
How to Apply
Each application must include all of the following materials:
Personal Statement Essay: Includes background information about the applicant, why the applicant believes she or he should be awarded the fellowship, and the applicant's future career goals. This essay should not exceed one page (single spaced) and will be assessed according to NSF's intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria. Please include your Psi Chi member number at the end of your personal statement essay.
Research Essay: This essay includes two major components: previous research experience and future directions. The previous research experience component should demonstrate an understanding of prior research conducted, highlight one's skills, and illustrate development as a scientist. The future directions component can include either a formal proposal for a specific research project or may more generally address the future direction of one's research. The research essay must not exceed 3 pages (single spaced) and any references, figures, tables or appendices must fit within the page limits. The research essay will be assessed according to NSF's intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria.
Letter of Recommendation: This letter can come from either your undergraduate or graduate advisor. It should address your qualifications and promise as a scientist, and is not to exceed two pages (single spaced).
(Optional) Curriculum Vitae (CV): Students have the option of submitting a brief CV (not to exceed two pages, single spaced). See this Psychology Today article for a description of how to compose a CV and to see examples.
Please submit each of these items as a separate PDF file. We will not accept Word documents. Letters of recommendation (if and only if stated as a requirement above) should also be in PDF form; however, we will accept both Word and PDF versions of the letter of recommendation only.
Submissions
Please note the online system will close at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the day of the deadline; all application materials must be submitted at that time. No mail submissions will be accepted. If you are not an APAGS member at the time of submission you may attach a copy of the receipt you get when you join APA/APAGS electronically as proof of your membership. Letters of recommendation may be submitted separately via email by the deadline. Submit your application online.
Please read this carefully: Approximately two months before an application is due, you will see this specific grant/award as a choice in the drop-down menu under “Grants” in the online submission form. Do not apply until the grant is listed in this menu as your application will not be accepted. Check back periodically if you are waiting for a chance to submit. The online system will close immediately on the due date and time. Late submissions will not be accepted. You will receive notification of your award decisions approximately two months after the due date.
Past Recipients
2012
Christopher Begeny: UCLA
Hillary Devlin: Yale University
Sachiko Donley: University of California—Irvine
Steven Felix: Harvard University
Nicole Jardine: University of Iowa
Adela Timmons: University of Southern California
Danille Umland: University of Central Arkansas
Anne Ward: Boston University
Blaire Weidler: Washington University
2011
Janell R. Blunt: Purdue University
Logan Fiorella: University of California—Santa Barbara
Erica Nicole Fountain: Florida International University
Elizabeth L. Johnson: University of Chicago
Timothy J. Wright: Florida State University
