Abbreviations:

• MHSAS – The MFP Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services fellowship
  
  
• MHR – The MFP Mental Health Research fellowship
  
  
• HIV/AIDS – The MFP HIV/AIDS fellowship (subspecialty under MHR)
  
  
• SAR – The MFP Substance Abuse Research fellowship (subspecialty under MHR)
  
  
• SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a federal institute that funds our MHSAS program)
  
  
• NIMH – National Institute of Mental Health (a federal institute that funds our MHR and HIV/AIDS programs)
  
  
• NIDA – National Institute of Drug Abuse (the federal institute that funds our SAR program)
  
  

• If you are currently in a PsyD program (or plan to be), you are required to apply to the MHSAS Fellowship. The only exception to this rule is if you are an active researcher in HIV/AIDS.
  
  
• As a general rule, students in clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs (or any other program where the emphasis is on providing mental health services (e.g., marriage and family therapy, etc…), should apply to the MHSAS fellowship. Your training must prepare you to provide culturally competent services to ethnic minorities. Exposure to the treatment of co-occurring disorders and substance abuse treatment or prevention are distinct advantages to applicants. One is not required to specialize in substance abuse, however, one must demonstrate that some exposure to substance abuse issues will be obtained in the training program. One can visit the SAMHSA website to become familiar with the wide scope of mental health services that fall under SAMHSA auspices (www.samhsa.gov).
  
  
• Students in all other types of doctoral training programs in psychology (other than clinical, counseling, and school), should apply for the MHR, HIV/AIDS, or the SAR fellowship. However, your training and research must be directly related to mental illness, mental health, or behavior as it relates to ethnic minorities. Most generally, your research should be consistent with the very broad range of mental health and behavioral research (or related areas) of interest to the NIMH or NIDA. If your interests are not consistent with such research, your application may not be perceived as relevant or strong. If you apply for the HIV/AIDS fellowship, your focus must be on HIV/AIDS research. If you apply to the SAR fellowship, your focus must be on substance abuse research. You should visit the NIMH or NIDA websites (www.nimh.nih.gov or www.nida.nih.gov) to see if your research area relates to the institutes' areas of interest.
  
  

• You should apply for the MHSAS fellowship if you plan on becoming a licensed psychologist who spends over half your time either delivering mental health services, supervising those who are delivering mental health services, training those who are learning how to deliver mental health services or directly administrating in agencies that deliver mental health services. These services are typically counseling, testing, therapy, evaluations, consultations, etc … This also includes neuropsychological services. It does not matter the type of setting in which the services will be delivered. They may be delivered in a range of settings, including, but not limited to, hospitals, federal, state, or community mental health centers, schools, university clinics, or in private practice settings.
  
  
• You should apply for the MHR fellowship if you plan on becoming a psychologist who spends over half your time conducting research that is eventually published in scientific journals or books and/or is supported through research grants like those provided by the NIMH or NIDA. Such professionals are typically independent research scientists and work primarily in university settings with very minimal or no clinical service or clinical service training responsibilities. (One should note that some neuropsychologists would fall under this area. It is up to the applicant to describe what type of training and career aspirations he/she has in neuropsychology). Independent researchers might also eventually work in other settings such as public sector research institutes or foundations, local, state, or federal government institutes or offices, or settings in which research is used in conjunction with efforts to inform and formulate public policy.
  
  
• You should apply for the HIV/AIDS fellowship if you plan on becoming a psychologist whose primary research topic is HIV/AIDS and ethnic minorities. All of the other requisites related to applying for the MHR fellowship apply here as well. However, as an additional consideration, you must be prepared to demonstrate that you will receive your training from a recognized expert in HIV/AIDS research and your thesis and dissertation will focus on HIV/AIDS in ethnic minority communities.
  
  
• You should apply for the SAR fellowship if you plan on becoming a psychologist whose primary research topic is substance abuse and ethnic minorities. All of the other requisites related to applying for the MHR fellowship apply here as well. However, as an additional consideration, you must be prepared to demonstrate that you will receive your training from a recognized expert in substance abuse research and your thesis and dissertation will focus on substance abuse in ethnic minority communities.