APA Dissertation Research Award

The Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association sponsors an annual competition for dissertation research funding. The purpose of the Dissertation Research Award program is to assist science-oriented doctoral students of psychology with research costs. The current program offers up to fifteen grants of up to $5,000 to students whose dissertation research reflects excellence in scientific psychology.

1. Applicants must have psychology as the primary focus of their graduate studies (even if they are receiving training in other fields as well).
2. Applicants must be in good standing in their graduate programs.
3. Applicants must be enrolled full-time or working on their dissertation research for an equivalent of full-time enrollment regardless of actual registration status.
4. Applicants must be enrolled at an accredited US or Canadian college/university that is physically located within the US or Canada (i.e. not an international campus of a US or Canadian school).
5. Applicants must be graduate student members of the American Psychological Association. Applicants who are not members must apply for APA Graduate Student membership when submitting materials for the Dissertation Research Award. If you are newly applying, please include a copy of the confirmation page receipt with your award application.
6. Applicants must have had their dissertation proposals approved by their dissertation committees prior to application.
7. Applicants must have not yet successfully defended their dissertations at the time of the application deadline.
8. Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than three (3) students per year for the APA Dissertation Research Award. If more than three students from a department wish to apply for these funds, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only three applications.
9. Students in graduate departments other than psychology are eligible to apply for the Dissertation Research Award only if they demonstrate that they are writing a psychological science dissertation and their graduate course of study has been primarily psychological in nature.
   
   These students must justify their eligibility for the award by providing APA staff with the following materials:
   
   (a) dissertation title and brief abstract;
   
   (b) transcript of graduate coursework (unofficial copies are sufficient); and,
   
   (c) a brief written explanation of how these materials show that the graduate course of study has been primarily psychological in nature.
   
   
10. The dissertation research may be in any area of psychological research.
    
    
11. Applicants must not have previously received an APA Dissertation Research Award.

1. Science Directorate staff will examine all applications for eligibility.
2. Applicants must create a MyAPA account to apply online. Click the 'Apply' button on this page below to get started. You will need to have the following materials ready to submit:
   
   (a) Cover letter. One page maximum; describing your research interests and experience, as well as your career plans.
   
   (b) Dissertation research summary. Two-page maximum; including project background and rationale, an explanation of research design (methods, procedure, analysis plan, etc.) and other important aspects of the project. One additional page listing references may be included (citations should be included in the text). Please note: Figures and/or tables may be included only if they can be incorporated into the two-page research summary. The research summary must not exceed the two-page limit including any figures or tables.
   
   (c) Budget. Upload a one-page maximum budget, rounded to U.S. whole dollars and not exceeding $5,000, that describes the proposed use of funds. Detail the need and justify all expenses. The award must be used to support expenses directly related to dissertation research (e.g., computer time, animal care, materials/supplies, special equipment, participant fees and incentives, and costs associated with data collection). The awards may not be used for indirect costs, tuition, any salaries, consultant fees, travel, or personal expenses.
   
   (d) Abbreviated curriculum vitae. Two-page maximum; including scientific publications, presentations, research, and teaching experience (the curriculum vitae may contain only highlights and does not need to be a complete version).
   
   (e) Copy of APA student affiliate membership confirmation, if you are not already a member. If you are a member, you will need to provide your APA membership number.
   
   (f) Letter of recommendation. One-page maximum. The letter of recommendation should come from your doctoral program dissertation advisor. In the application, you will be asked to provide the advisor’s full name and email address. They will be sent an automated email containing a link to electronically submit the letter. You will not be able to finalize your application until your advisor submits the recommendation letter. Although the system will send automated reminders and confirmation notifications, it is your responsibility to ask your advisor to prepare the letter before starting the application.
   
   (g) Departmental endorsement from the chair/head of your department. In the application, you will be asked to provide the chair’s full name and email address. They will be emailed a link to an online form where they must respond to a few questions concerning their eligibility for the award.
3. Decisions will be based on the quality of the submitted information. Panels of distinguished scientists representing the breadth of scientific psychology will make funding recommendations.
4. All applicants for the awards are notified of funding decisions via email.
5. Any changes to the budget details supplied in the proposed use of funds section of the grant application must be approved in advance (in writing) by the APA staff. Any budget change requests can be emailed to Science Directorate.
6. A year from receipt of the award, each award recipient must submit a one-page final report letter specifying how the funds were used, which must be signed by the chair or head of the department or the student's faculty advisor. More details will be provided to each award recipient about this final documentation.

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Review of applications

Applications will be reviewed by at least two reviewers. Criteria for evaluation will include the following:

• Scientific quality: Raters will evaluate the rigor of the research design; evaluate the soundness and appropriateness of the methodology; assess the quality of the plans for analysis; assess whether the proposed sample size is adequate, methodologically appropriate, and supported by a clear and compelling justification; assess if the proposed research plan is feasible; evaluate the significance of the proposed dissertation study within the broader landscape of current scientific literature; and evaluate the rationale for pursuing the project.
• Application: Raters will evaluate the written quality of the cover letter and research summary and assess whether the budget is well-justified and reasonable.

Students will be notified by late July. Funds will be dispersed in September.

For any questions, please email the APA Dissertation Research Award staff. 

2025

2025 APA Dissertation Research Award recipients

2024

2024 APA Dissertation Research Award recipients

2023

2023 APA Dissertation Research Award recipients

2022

No awards were presented

2021

The 2021 APA Dissertation Research Award recipients

2020

The 2020 APA Dissertation Research Award recipients