Special membership opportunity for student affiliates

Attention soon-to-be doctorates: Paid APA graduate student affiliates who have received or are about to receive their doctoral degrees are eligible to become members of APA at no additional cost in 2003. Applications for this special offer will be mailed this spring. If you are eligible for APA membership and have received this offer, return your upgrade application as soon as you are eligible. Or, if you have not received this offer and wish to upgrade to member status, contact APA's Membership Office at membership@apa.org or (800) 374-2721.

New members sought for Minority Fellowship Program advisory committee

APA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) seeks three new members for its advisory committee to serve three-year terms beginning Sept. 1. The MFP administers three federally funded training programs for doctoral students in psychology. MFP also aims to improve the quality of mental health treatment and research on issues of concern to ethnic-minority populations and to increase the number of ethnic minorities providing mental health services and research in these areas. MFP is looking for candidates who have published research related to ethnic-minority mental health, whose research has received grant support from federal agencies and who have direct experience in training doctoral-level students in mental health and substance abuse services and research. Psychologists with expertise in school psychology, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention and treatment are also encouraged to apply. The deadline for nominations is May 31.

MFP Advisory Committee members attend meetings in March of each year to select new MFP fellows, review the progress of continuing fellows and nominate graduate fellows for awards. Each December, the committee holds a retreat to review the MFP, update or revise MFP publications and brochures, develop and review programming for upcoming APA Annual Conventions, and review the MFP application and selection process. Self-nominations are welcome. To nominate, send a letter of support and a curriculum vitae to the Minority Fellowship Program, Attn: Advisory Committee Selection, at the APA address.

Early-career faculty: Apply for a grant to study health disparities

An APA small grants program aimed at promoting research and training on health disparities issues at institutions that serve ethnic minorities is requesting funding proposals.

The program, called Promoting Psychological Research and Training on Health Disparities Issues at Ethnic Minority Serving Institutions Grants (ProDIGs), will award grants to early-career faculty--those who have completed their highest academic degree within the past 10 years--for the preparation of a funding application to a federal agency or foundation, such as the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation, or for preparation of program-development applications. Five to seven grants of $5,000 to $6,500 each are awarded each year. Awardees are expected to submit funding applications to federal agencies or private foundations within 24 months of receiving their grants.

All awardees must attend a mandatory three- to four-day professional development institute in Washington, D.C., this summer. Additional funds will be provided for travel costs.

The deadline for applications is April 14. Grant applicants must have doctorates in psychology or a related discipline. Applicants for program or curriculum-development grants must, at minimum, have master's degrees in psychology or a related field. A faculty or research affiliation of greater than 0.50 FTE (full-time employment) at an accredited minority-serving institution is also required. Applicants must be APA members, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and must have completed their highest academic degree within the past 10 years at the time of the grant award.

ProDIGs is funded by the APA Science Directorate's Academic Enhancement Initiative and administered by the APA Public Interest Directorate's Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs (OEMA) in collaboration with APA's Minority Fellowship Program.

For further information, contact Sonja Preston of OEMA at (202) 336-6029 or spreston@apa.org. Questions and requests about program or curriculum-development small grants can be directed to Adisa Ajamu of OEMA at (202) 336-6029 or aajamu@apa.org.

--J. CHAMBERLIN