COGDOP Graduate Student Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by American Psychological Foundation

Overview
The American Psychological Foundation (APF) provides annual research scholarships to help graduate psychology students cover expenses directly tied to their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. Application deadline: June 26, 2026. Sponsor: APF.

Awards
APF offers nine individual scholarships each year, with top awards up to $5,000. The specific scholarships and their amounts are:
- Harry and Miriam Levinson Scholarship — $5,000
- William and Dorothy Bevan Scholarship — $3,000
- Charles and Carol Spielberger Scholarship — $5,000
- Peter and Malina James & Dr. Louis P. James Legacy Scholarship — $5,000
- Ruth G. and Joseph D. Matarazzo Scholarship — $3,000
- William C. Howell Scholarship — $2,500
- Clarence J. Rosecrans Scholarship — $2,000
- Raymond K. Mulhern Scholarship — $2,000
- Dr. Judy Kuriansky Scholarship — $2,000

Eligibility
- APF welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds (age, race, color, religion/creed, nationality, ability, sexual orientation, gender, and geographic region).
- Eligible applicants are graduate students enrolled in either an interim master’s program or a doctoral program. Students in terminal master’s programs may apply only if they intend to continue into a PhD program. Applicants at any stage of graduate study are encouraged to apply.
- Recipients must be enrolled in their graduate program when the scholarships are awarded. (NOTE: nominees must be currently enrolled at the time of award.)
- Nominations must come from graduate psychology departments that are members of COGDOP. To confirm membership, consult COGDOP’s Member Directory or contact COGDOP directly; APF does not maintain this list.
- Nomination limits per COGDOP member department are based on the number of doctoral students enrolled:
- 100 or fewer doctoral students: 1 nominee
- 101–200 doctoral students: up to 2 nominees
- More than 200 doctoral students: up to 3 nominees

Required Application Materials
- A concise proposal for the thesis or dissertation project (maximum 10 pages, excluding references; proposals in progress are acceptable)
- Departmental endorsement (nomination/endorsement from the department)
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Transcript (unofficial/student copy acceptable)

How Applications Are Evaluated
Primary evaluation focuses on the research proposal. Reviewers will assess:
- Context and rationale (brief literature review)
- Clarity of the research question(s)
- Appropriateness and rigor of the research design/methods
- Potential contribution or significance (theoretical and/or applied)
- Proposed use of funds (preference for funds to be applied to conducting the research rather than toward tuition, travel, books, or journals)

Secondary factors include the student’s record and preparedness: prior publications or conference presentations, institutional awards, strength of the departmental endorsement (chair/Director of Graduate Studies), breadth and performance in coursework, and related accomplishments.

Submission Details
For full application formatting requirements and submission steps, log in or create an account on the GivingData portal and review the complete instructions there. If questions remain after consulting the portal, contact APF Programs at programs@ampsychfdn.org.