Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research
The Board of Professional Affairs decided to pause these awards for 2025. APA is reviewing all of its awards and pending the outcome of that review, BPA will make a decision regarding continuing these specific awards. If these awards are resumed in 2026, deadline information will be posted accordingly.
In previous years, this award was called the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge. The name was changed in 2003 to better describe the award. The APA 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.
Awardees receive an honorarium of $1,000 and have the opportunity to participate in a formal presentation of this award during a virtual Awards Ceremony later this year. They may also submit a short video describing their research or other contributions to a broad audience for use on the APA website.
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.
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.
2025
Karen Chan Osilla, PhD
2024
Pim Cuijpers, PhD
2023
Jennifer Wolff, PhD
2022
Sandra Graham-Bermann, PhD
2021
Joseph Patrick Gone, PhD
2020
Nancy E. Betz, PhD
2019
David C. Schwebel, PhD
2018
Gary W. Harper, PhD, MPH
2017
Cameron J. Camp, PhD
2016
No award recipient
2015
Leonard A. Jason, PhD
2014
J. Thomas Grisso, PhD
2013
Richard M. Fox, PhD
2012
Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD
2011
Ronald R. Levant, EdD, ABPP
2010
Catherine E. Lord, PhD
2009
Luciano L’Abate, PhD
2008
Richard Rogers, PhD, ABPP
2007
Bruce E. Wampold, PhD
2006
Stephen M. Weiss, PhD
2005
Gail S. Goodman, PhD
2004
Robert J. Gatchel, PhD
2003
Theodore Millon, PhD
Stanley Sue, PhD
2002
John D. Krumboltz, PhD
2001
Marvin R. Goldfried, PhD
2000
Simon H. Budman, PhD
1998/1999
Peter E. Nathan, PhD
1997
John E. Exner, Jr., PhD
Samuel M. Turner, PhD
1996
Paul Satz, PhD
1995
Kenneth I. Howard, PhD
Lester B. Luborsky, PhD
1994
John L. Holland, PhD
1993
Paul E. Meehl, PhD
1992
Leopold Bellak, MD
Harry Levinson, PhD
1991
W. Grant Dahlstrom, PhD
Joseph D. Matarazzo, PhD
1990
Manfred J. Meier, PhD
1989
Allen E. Bergin, PhD
1988
Herman Feifel, PhD
1987
Mary D. S. Ainsworth, PhD
Hans H. Strupp, PhD
1986
Edward Zigler, PhD
1985
Albert Ellis, PhD
1984
Norman Frederiksen, PhD
1983
Neal E. Miller, PhD
1982
Roy Schafer, PhD
1981
Carl Eisdorfer, PhD, MD
1980
Leonard D. Eron, PhD
1979
Sol L. Garfield, PhD
