Awards, Honors, and Research Funding

Each year, APA presents awards that recognize the achievements and potential of psychological scientists at all career stages. These prestigious programs honor excellence and innovation in research; they celebrate the very best work in the field as well as the fresh ideas shaping its future. We encourage applications and nominations from all areas of psychological science, and we welcome candidates with diverse and non-traditional backgrounds.

All materials must be submitted online by the posted deadline, and incomplete submissions will not be considered. Due to the volume of submissions, individual feedback is not possible.

Questions about APA awards should be sent via email. In addition to these programs, we encourage psychological scientists to explore other APA-related honors as well as external funding opportunities.

• Meritorious Research Service Commendation
  Deadline: June 1, 2026
  Honors outstanding contributions to psychological science by employees of government or nonprofit organizations.
• Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions
  Deadline: March 15, 2026
  Honors outstanding contributions to basic research in psychology. Three awards are offered each year.
• Distinguished Scientific Award for the Application of Psychology
  Deadline: March 15, 2026
  Honors advances in psychology that lead to the understanding or improvement of important practical problems.
• Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology
  Deadline: June 1, 2026
  Honors research excellence in the first 9 years post-PhD. Five awards are offered each year in specific content areas.

• Dissertation Research Award
  Deadline: March 1, 2026
  Research funding for outstanding dissertation proposals. Up to 15 awards of up to $5,000 are offered annually.
• APF/COGDOP Graduate Student Scholarshipsopens in new window
  Deadline: June 26, 2026
  Recognizes outstanding graduate student research in psychology. Twenty-one awards of $2,000–$5,000 are offered each year.

• Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research (SUPER) Fellowship
  Deadline: March 1, 2027
  The purpose of the SUPER fellowship program is to promote access among undergraduates considering research as a career by expanding opportunities to laboratory training and mentorship to those who may have not had the opportunity to lead psychological science research.