Nominate your colleagues now for next year's
Annual Convention.
APA's Practice, International Affairs, Science, Education and Public Interest directorates are seeking nominations for the association's 2002 awards.
Award winners receive an honorarium of $1,000; the opportunity to present an invited address at APA's 2002 Annual Convention in Chicago; a waiver of 2002 convention registration fees; and reimbursement of up to $1,000 in expenses related to attendance at the 2002 convention.
The deadline for all award nominations is June 1.
APA Practice Awards
APA's Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) seeks nominations for its 2002 Distinguished Professional Contri-
butions awards. Please send nomination materials for all categories to Jayne Lux, APA Practice Directorate, at the APA address; (202) 336-5881.
• The Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge Award, given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. This research should have led to innovative applications in an area of psychological practice, such as assessment, consultation, instruction or direct or indirect intervention. 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.
• The Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice Award, which recognizes outstanding service delivery by a psychologist who has provided leadership in improving the profession, its public image or its public acceptance. BPA will look for public and professional contributions in a variety of areas that may include legislative activity, actions to change the legal patterns of service delivery or advocacy for reimbursement changes that contribute to the development of the profession. The Board will also consider a psychologist's work in significant organizations at the national, state or local level.
• The Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service Award, which recognizes psychologists who have made outstanding contributions to the public through their knowledge and practical skills. BPA will consider psychologists whose professional or organizational involvement has produced major public benefits, as well as those who have made significant contributions to special populations such as the disabled, the disadvantaged or ethnic minorities. Psychologists active in any arena benefiting the public, including legislative policy, law and government service, are eligible for consideration.
For each award, nominators should provide a detailed 75-word narrative statement regarding the nature of the contributions and focus of the nomination, as well as a résumé and bibliography. Endorsements from other individuals or groups are encouraged. Nominators of award winners will also be responsible for preparing a 100-word award citation.
All nominees must have excellent overall personal and professional reputations. Nominees should not have received disciplinary action from a state board of examiners in psychology and must have no history of ethical violations at the state or national level.
• APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Professional Contribution by a Graduate Student, which is awarded on an annual basis by 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. Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply from all psychology sub-specialties and can be self-nominated or nominated by an APA member.
Applicants must submit a 1,000-word or less summary of their work with an underserved population, including a description of their work, the status of the underserved population and number served, nature of psychological services or work done and its impact on addressing the needs of the identified population. Nominees should explain why the group is considered underserved.
The student must also submit a curriculum vitae and 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 of nominator. Upon receipt of the award, the nominator or endorser will be expected to prepare the text for the award citation, attend the APA Convention, 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
APA's Board of Scientific Affairs and the Committee on Scientific Awards seeks nominations for the following awards. All award nominations should be sent to the Science Directorate at the APA address. For more information, contact Suzanne Wandersman at (202) 336-6000; e-mail.
• Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award and Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology. The Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award is presented to candidates who have made distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to basic research in psychology. The Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology is presented to individuals who have made distinguished theoretical or empirical advances in psychology leading to the understanding or amelioration of important practical problems.
In the nomination letter, nominators should address the following questions: What are the general themes of the nominee's major lines of research? What are the important research findings usually attributed to the nominee? To what extent have the nominee's theoretical contributions generated research in the field? What has been the significant and enduring influence of the nominee's research, or what historical contribution has the nominee's research made to the field? Compare the nominee with others in her or his field. What influence has the nominee had on students and others in the same field of study? When possible, the nominee's students should be identified by name.
Nominations must include a letter of nomination, a current curriculum vitae, a recent, complete bibliography, up to five representative reprints and the names and addresses of several scientists familiar with the nominee's work.
• Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology, which recognizes excellent young psychologists in 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. For the 2002 year program, APA seeks nominations
of psychologists who have received their doctoral degrees during or after 1992 in the five areas of cognition: human learning; psychopathology; health; developmental; and animal learning and behavior, comparative. Nominators should view each area in its largest, most inclusive sense.
Nominations must include a two-page minimum statement on the worthiness of the nominee, a current curriculum vitae, a recent, complete bibliography and no more than five reprints representative of the nominee's contribution. 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 2000 issue of the American Psychologist.
The committee seeks diversity in selecting recipients, preferring to select only one person representing a specialized topic, a specific material, a given method or a particular application.
APA Education
and Training Awards
The Board of Educational Affairs is requesting nominations for the following awards. Send nominations and supporting materials to Shirley Matthews, APA Education Directorate, at the APA address.
• Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology, which recognizes psychologists who have engaged in teaching or training as the primary employment during their career. Psychologists will be selected 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 facilitates education and training; and activities in professional organizations which promote excellence.
• Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training, for evidence-based applications of psychology to education. Candidates 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, or in communities.
All nominations must include a letter of nomination outlining the contributions of the nominee and specifying the name of the award; two letters of support; and a curriculum vitae.
APA Public Interest Awards
The Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest invites nominations for 2002 APA Public Interest Awards. Nominations must be submitted with a supporting statement of 500 words or fewer, a current vitae, a list of relevant publications, three to five selected representative reprints and letters of support from at least three people familiar with the nominee's work. Nominations and supporting material should be sent to Joan White, Public Interest Directorate, at the APA address.
• Distinguished Contribution to Psychology in the Public Interest. The Committee on Public Interest Awards will select two individuals who have made distinguished contributions in the public interest that advance psychology as a science or a profession, including one who has 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 through providing psychological services or science.
• Distinguished Contribution to Research in Public Policy, which is given to a psychologist who has made a distinguished empirical or theoretical contribution to research in public policy, either through a single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of work. The contribution may consist of research leading others to view specific national policies differently; demonstrating the importance of the application of psychological methods and theory to public policy; or clarifying the ways scientific knowledge or human behavior informs public policy.
APA International Awards
Nominations and supporting materials for the following international awards may be sent to Sally Leverty, Office of International Affairs, at the APA address.
• International Humanitarian Award, which recognizes extraordinary humanitarian service and activism by a psychologist or a team of psychologists, including professional and volunteer work conducted in the field with underserved populations. Such work includes professional activities initiated by psychologists to help alleviate severe stress and restore psychological well-being to a group of people in difficult circumstances, such as survivors or victims' families following a significant event, including natural or person-induced disasters, national or international incidents, civil war or forced migration; or a community in which long-term political, economic, social or other circumstances have caused severe stress and psychological problems for a substantial portion of the population.
Individual psychologists or teams of psychologists working under the auspices of local, national and international organizations that provide psycho-social and humanitarian services are eligible for nomination. Nominees are not required to be APA members.
Nominations should provide ample documentation of extraordinary service that has improved the lives and well-being of people anywhere in the world. Documentation should include, but is not limited to, descriptions of the 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 or fostering the empowerment of community members.
Applications will be screened by APA's Committee on International Relations in Psychology, which will make recommendations to APA's Board of Directors. 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.
• APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology. This award recognizes 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 typed supporting statement no more than 500 words long, a current curriculum vitae, a list of relevant publications and letters of support from three to five people familiar with the nominee's work.
