The Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association sponsors an annual competition for graduate student travel awards. The purpose of the Travel Award program is to help psychology graduate students travel to the annual APA convention to present their research.
In 2012, approximately 100 students received $300 to support their travel to the APA convention in Orlando, Fla. In addition, seven students who applied for a Travel Award received an Ungerleider/Zimbardo Travel Scholarship of $300 from the American Psychological Foundation, bringing to 107 the total number of students who received a grant of $300 to help support their attendance at convention.
In addition to being eligible to apply for a Travel Award, students who are both members of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and first authors are also eligible to have their convention registration fees waived. Further information about this potential fee waiver will be mailed to eligible students by early June.
Eligibility
Applicants must be enrolled full-time and be in good standing in a graduate program in psychology at a regionally accredited university or college located in the United States or Canada.
Applicants must be student affiliates or associate members of the American Psychological Association (graduate student affiliates are automatically members of APAGS — see student affiliate application for details). Students who are not affiliates must apply for affiliation when submitting materials for the Travel Award; however, all materials must be received by the Science Directorate in a single, complete package.
Research papers or posters must already have been accepted by an APA division for presentation. Multiple author submissions are acceptable, but the student applicant must be the designated presenter of the research. If there are multiple student authors, only the first author may apply for these funds. If the student applicant has been accepted to present more than one paper or poster, she or he must choose only one paper/poster presentation to use when applying for this award. Students who are designated presenters in a division-sponsored symposium are also eligible to apply for this award.
Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than three students per year for the Travel Award. If more than three students from a department wish to apply for these funds, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only three applications.
How to Apply
Science Directorate staff will examine all applications for eligibility.
Applicants must use the official application form (PDF, 591KB). A photocopy of this form is acceptable. The application form must be typed or neatly printed, and submitted with the following materials:
a) 1-page maximum typed cover letter describing your research interests and experience, as well as career plans.
b) 2-page maximum summary of the research to be presented. Please do not submit a list of references with your summary (although you may choose to include citations in the text).
c) 2-page maximum curriculum vitae including scientific publications and presentations (the curriculum vitae may contain only highlights and may not be a complete version).
d) One (1) copy of the letter of convention paper/poster acceptance from the sponsoring APA division.
Applicants must submit one set of original application materials plus one additional collated copy of all materials to:
APA Student Travel Awards
Science Directorate
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
In addition, each applicant should keep a copy of all submitted records.
Decisions will be based on the quality of the submitted information. Panels of distinguished scientists representing the breadth of scientific psychology will make funding recommendations to the Science Directorate. Geographic location will also be considered in granting the awards.
Award recipients will be announced in late-May. Funds will be provided directly to the students following the announcement of the award recipients.
By the end of September following convention, each award recipient must submit a copy of the final presentation, receipts for convention-related expenses totaling at least the amount of the award, and a letter of verification of convention participation that is signed by the chair or head of the department. This letter can be prepared by the recipient and cosigned by them and the chair or head of the department.
