APA Dissertation Research Award

The APA Dissertation Research Award is an annual competition run by the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association to assist science-oriented doctoral students of psychology with dissertation research costs. The program offers up to fifteen grants of up to $5,000 each to support expenses directly related to dissertation research. Awards are intended for students whose dissertation research reflects excellence in scientific psychology.

Monetary grant (up to $5,000); recognition as an APA-funded dissertation research award recipient (up to fifteen awards granted annually).

Applicants must be doctoral students with psychology as the primary focus of their graduate studies, enrolled full-time or working on dissertation research equivalent to full-time, enrolled at an accredited US or Canadian college/university physically located in the US or Canada, be APA graduate student members (or apply for membership when submitting), have dissertation proposals approved, and not have successfully defended their dissertations by the application deadline. Departments may endorse up to three students per year.

Apply online via a MyAPA account through the Science Awards portal; submit cover letter, two-page research summary, one-page budget, abbreviated CV, APA membership confirmation or number, advisor recommendation letter submitted electronically, and departmental endorsement from department chair.