APA seeks nominations for 2008 awards

APA's Practice, Science, Education and Public Interest directorates and the Office of International Affairs are seeking nominations for the association's 2008 awards.

Winners receive an honorarium of $1,000; the opportunity to present an invited address at APA's 2008 Annual Convention in Boston Aug. 14-17; a waiver of 2008 convention registration fees; and reimbursement of up to $1,000 in expenses related to attendance at the 2008 convention.

The deadline for all award nominations is June 1.

APA Practice Awards

APA's Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) seeks nominations for its Distinguished Professional Contributions awards. Please send nomination materials for all categories to Ernestine Penniman, Practice Directorate, at the APA address; (202) 336-5911; e-mail.

For each award, nominators should provide a detailed narrative statement of no more than 300 words on the nature of the contributions and focus of the nomination, and an up-to-date resume and bibliography. Endorsements from other individuals or groups are encouraged. Also, nominators of award winners will be responsible for preparing a 100-word award citation. All nominees must have excellent overall personal and professional reputations.

• Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. To be eligible, this research should have led to innovative applications in an area of psychological practice, including but not limited to assessment, consultation, instruction or intervention (either direct or indirect). Research involving the original development of procedures, methodologies or technical skills that significantly improve the application of psychological knowledge and provide direct and immediate solutions to practical problem areas will be considered, as will research that has informed psychologists on how better to observe, define, predict or control behavior. Original integration of existing theories or knowledge is also eligible for consideration.

• Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Independent or Institutional Practice in the Private Sector recognizes outstanding service delivery by a licensed psychologist who is primarily engaged in the practice of psychology in a private sector setting. The award is intended to recognize outstanding practitioners in psychology. Nominations will be considered for psychologists working in any area of clinical specialization, health-services provision or consulting and services provided to any patient population or professional clientele in an independent or institutional practice setting. Services provided to diverse client groups or patient populations, including but not limited to children/adolescents/adults/older adults, urban/rural/frontier populations, minority populations and persons with serious mental illness, will be considered. Contributions may be judged or distinguished by virtue of peer recognition, advancement of the public's recognition of psychology as a profession, relevant professional association honors or other meritorious accomplishments denoting excellence as a practitioner, including advancement of the profession.

• Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Practice in the Public Sectorrecognizes outstanding service delivery by a psychologist who is primarily engaged in the practice of psychology in a public sector setting (state hospital, military, Department of Veterans Affairs). The award is intended to recognize outstanding practitioners in psychology. Nominations will be considered for psychologists working in a wide variety of public sector settings. Services provided to diverse client groups or patient populations, including but not limited to children/adolescents/adults/older adults, urban/rural/frontier populations, minority populations and persons with serious mental illness, will be considered. Contributions may be judged or distinguished by virtue of peer recognition, advancement of the public's recognition of psychology as a profession, relevant professional association honors or other meritorious accomplishments denoting excellence as a practitioner, including improvement of public service delivery systems or development of psychologically informed public policy.

• APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis from BPA and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. Nominees may have received their doctoral degree at the time of nomination provided that accomplishments for the award were achieved while a graduate student. Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply from all psychology subspecialties (clinical, counseling, organization, school, health) and can be self-nominated or nominated by an APA member. However, all self-nominations must be endorsed by an APA member who serves the function of a nominator.

Each applicant must submit a summary of no more than 1,000 words regarding their work with an underserved population that must include a description of the student's work with this population, the status of the underserved population and number served, nature of psychological services/work done and its impact on addressing the needs of the identified population. In addition, nominees are expected to identify why the group they have worked with is considered underserved. Applicants must also submit a curriculum vitae, a letter of support from a member of APA and, in the instance of a self-nomination, verification that the endorser will serve the role and complete the functions of a nominator.

The nominator/endorser will be expected to prepare the text for the award citation, attend APA's Annual Convention at his or her own expense, serve as chair of the winner's award address, introduce the award recipient and prepare the written introduction for any APA publications wishing to publicize the award.

APA Science Awards

The Committee on Scientific Awards invites nominations for its awards program. Nominations for all three award categories should be sent to the Science Directorate at the APA address. Questions about the awards program should be directed to Jennifer Webb; (202) 336-6000; e-mail.

Members of the committee, former recipients of the awards and the president and president-elect of APA are ineligible. For a list of previous award winners, see the November 2006 American Psychologist.

• Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award is presented to candidates who have made distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to basic research in psychology.

• Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology is presented to candidates who have made distinguished theoretical or empirical advances in psychology leading to the understanding or amelioration of important practical problems.

For these awards, nominators should include in the letter of nomination a statement addressing the following questions: Describe the important theoretical and empirical contributions and their impact on the field, usually attributed to the nominee. Compare the nominee with others in her/his field, including others who previously have received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. Note what influences the nominee has had on students and others in the same field of study. Where possible, please identify the nominee's students by name.

Nominations for these awards will not be considered without the following: a letter of nomination, a recent curriculum vitae, a complete bibliography, the names and addresses of several scientists familiar with the nominee's work, a list of 10 significant and representative publications and three reprints representative of the nominee's contribution. (Preferably send reprints in electronic form.)

• Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology recognizes excellent young psychologists. For the purposes of this award, psychology has been divided into 10 areas: cognition/human learning; psychopathology; health; developmental; animal learning and behavior, comparative; applied research (treatment and prevention research, industrial/organizational research, educational research); social; individual differences (personality, psychometrics, mental ability, behavioral genetics); perception, motor performance; and behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. Five awards are given each year, with areas rotated in two-year cycles. The titles of the areas were chosen only for the convenience of approximate identification; nominators should view each area in its largest, most inclusive sense. Winners of this award will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at the 2008 convention, but are not expected to present an award address.

Nominations of persons who received doctoral degrees during and since 1998 are being sought for 2008 awards in the following areas: cognition/human learning; psychopathology; health; developmental; and animal learning and behavior, comparative. Nominations for the Early Career Awards will not be considered without the following: a statement on the worthiness of the nominee (at least two pages in length), a current vitae, a recent complete bibliography and no more than five reprints representative of the nominee's contribution.

APA Education and Training Awards

The Board of Educational Affairs is requesting nominations for the following awards. All nominations must include a letter of nomination citing the award for which the nomination is made and outlining the contributions of the nominee, two letters of support and a curriculum vitae. Send nominations and supporting materials to Sharon Leiss, Education Directorate, at the APA address. Questions about the awards should be directed to Sharon Leiss; (202) 336-5970; e-mail.

• Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology recognizes psychologists who have engaged in teaching/training as the primary employment during their career. Psychologists will be selected for this award on the basis of their documented positive influence on the education and training of students; engagement in important research in education and training; development of effective materials for instruction; establishment of workshops, conferences or networks, of communications for education and training; achievement and leadership in administration that facilitate education and training; and activities in professional organizations that promote excellence.

• Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training recognizes psychologists for evidence-based applications of psychology to education. To be considered for this award, the candidate must demonstrate a contribution to new teaching methods or the solution of learning problems through the use of research findings or evidence-based practices. Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of psychological knowledge to improve learning in educational settings (including pre-kindergarten to 12th grade) and/or in communities.

APA Public Interest Awards

The Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest invites nominations for the 2008 APA Public Interest Awards. Nominations and supporting materials for the following awards should be sent to Lavonia Reid at the APA address; (202) 336-6056; e-mail.

• Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest. The Committee on Public Interest Awards will select two individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the Public Interest which advance psychology as a science and/or a profession. One award is reserved to honor a psychologist involved in public interest endeavors who received a doctorate within the last 15 years. Award criteria include the identification or solution of significant social problems, unusual initiative or dedication in activities meeting client or community needs, or the advancement of human justice related to the provision of psychological services or science.

• Distinguished Contribution to Research in Public Policy will be given to a psychologist who has made a distinguished empirical and/or theoretical contribution to research in public policy, either through a single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of work. The contribution may consist of such factors as research leading others to view specific national policies differently; research demonstrating the importance of the application of psychological methods and theory to public policy; or research clarifying the ways scientific knowledge or human behavior informs public policy.

Nominations must be submitted with a supporting statement of 500 words or fewer, a current curriculum vita and letters of support from at least three people familiar with the nominee's work. Nominees may also submit three to five representative reprints, or alternate types of samples of work, such as videotapes, audiotapes, Internet-based communications or legal briefs. Nominations and supporting material should be sent to Joan White at the APA address.

APA International Awards

Nominations and supporting materials for the following international awards should be sent to the Office of International Affairs at the APA address. Questions about the awards should be directed to Sally Leverty at (202) 336-6025; e-mail; or visit www.apa.org/international.

• International Humanitarian Award recognizes extraordinary humanitarian service and activism by a psychologist or a team of psychologists, including professional and/or volunteer work conducted primarily in the field with underserved populations.

"Extraordinary humanitarian services" is defined as professional activities initiated by psychologists, working alone or in association with others, to help alleviate severe stress and restore psychological well-being to a group of people in a variety of difficult circumstances, including but not limited to survivors and/or victims' families following a significant event such as a natural or person-induced disaster, a national or international incident, a civil war or a forced migration; or to a community of any size in which long-term political, economic, social and/or other circumstances have caused severe stress and psychological problems for a substantial portion of that community.

Nominees need not be APA members. Recipients are individual psychologists or teams of psychologists working under the aegis of local, national and international organizations that provide psychosocial and humanitarian services. Nominations should provide ample and clear documentation to substantiate extraordinary service that has improved the lives and contributed to the well-being of people in either large or small geographic areas anywhere in the world. Documentation should include, but is not limited to, descriptions of the difficult conditions constituting severe threats to the security, stability, welfare or development of communities; specific actions, including personal risk, taken to improve conditions; demonstrated skills, knowledge, dedication and persistence brought to bear on work within specific communities; and the social and political activism displayed in rebuilding or transforming communities and/or fostering the empowerment of community members to act on their own behalf.

Applications will be screened by APA's Committee on International Relations in Psychology (CIRP), which will make recommendations to APA's Board of Directors for its designation of the awardee. Applications must include a letter of application; a 500-word narrative description of extraordinary humanitarian services and activism within specified time frames; a curriculum vitae; three letters of recommendation; and other supporting documents deemed essential to a full presentation of the applicant's work.

• APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology. CIRP is seeking nominations to recognize distinguished and enduring lifetime contributions to the international cooperation and advancement of knowledge in psychology. Candidates may be from any country. Nominations should include a supporting type-written statement of up to 500 words that traces the nominee's cumulative record of enduring contributions to the international advancement of psychology, a current curriculum vitae, a list of relevant publications and letters of support from three to five people familiar with the nominee's work.