To encourage student research in psychological science, the APS Student Grant Competition provides small “seed grant” funding to support research in its initial development stages, e.g., the purchase of research materials or other expenses incurred prior to data collection. Up to six awards ($500 each) will be given to APS student affiliates (graduates and undergraduates). Research proposals in all areas of psychological science are welcome. Peers will evaluate each research proposal on the clarity in the presentation of ideas, the ability of the project to explain some psychological phenomenon, and the ability of the project to advance research in a specified area. Applicants will receive copies of the peer reviews once the competition has concluded.
Applicants must be current APS student affiliates and may only enter one APSSC competition each year (i.e., Student Grant Competition, Student Research Award, Emerging Scholar Award, or RISE Research Award) and as such are only eligible for one of these three awards each academic year. (Note: travel assistance for convention volunteers is excluded from this rule.)
Submissions for the 2025 Student Grant Competition Open November 18, 2024. The Deadline for this Competition is December 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To be considered for the Student Grant Competition, APS student affiliates should submit the following:
Project Summary: The project summary should detail the purpose and methodology of the proposed research. The following specific sections should be included:
- Project Title and Abstract
- Background (a summary of previous related research)
- Motivation (the specific justification for the current project including a clearly stated hypothesis)
- Methods (a clear explanation of the materials, procedures, etc. that will be used)
- Theoretical Implications (how this research will impact/advance psychological science)
- Explanation of funds (how the $500 grant will be used to assist in the data collection process)
Note: Please OMIT the author’s name(s) and affiliation on all parts of this document. Instead, be sure to include the title of the submission in the header at the top of each page.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be peer reviewed by two independent readers, who have relevant expertise. The following evaluation criteria will be used. Reviewers will be asked to provide a score for each of the points below, ranging from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).
- Overall clarity of writing
- Theoretical background and literature review
- Quality of methods, materials, procedures, and research design
- Motivation underlying project and clearly stated hypotheses
- Theoretical implications and contributions to psychological science
Research Practices: In keeping with a policy statement adopted by the APS Board of Directors, APS members are expected to adhere to all relevant codes of ethical behavior and legal and regulatory requirements. It is expected that formal documentation indicating that the project outlined in the proposal is approved for data collection by the institutional body that regulates research within the submitter’s university (e.g., Human Subjects Committee, Internal Review Board, etc.) will be sought and achieved during the project.
Please contact the Graduate Advocate with any questions.
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