Division 12 Research, Practice, Service, and Leadership graduate student awards

Recipients must be matriculated doctoral students in clinical psychology (including predoctoral interns) who are student affiliates of Division 12. Nominations should include: a copy of nominee’s current curriculum vitae and at least one letter of strong endorsement (no more than two letters of endorsement provided) detailing the nominee’s contributions in the area of the award. Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than one student per year for each of the APA Division 12 Student Awards. If more than one student from a department wishes to be nominated for these awards, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only one nomination per award. Recipients of the awards receive a certificate, a $300 honorarium contributed jointly by Division 12 and Journal of Clinical Psychology, a complementary two-year subscription to JCLP, and one year free SCP Student Membership (for 2025). The SCP Education & Training Committee will determine the award recipients. Please submit nomination materials electronically via the Award Application Submission Form.

• Distinguished Student Research Award in Clinical Psychology: Honors a graduate student in clinical psychology who has made exemplary theoretical or empirical contributions to research in clinical psychology. Clinical research contributions can include quantity, quality, contribution to diversity, and/or innovations in research.
• Distinguished Student Practice Award in Clinical Psychology: Honors a graduate student in clinical psychology who has made outstanding clinical practice contributions to the profession. Clinical practice contributions can include breadth and/or depth of practice activities, innovations in service delivery, contribution to diversity, and/or other meritorious contributions.
• Distinguished Student Service Award in Clinical Psychology: Honors a graduate student in clinical psychology who has made outstanding service contributions to the community by enhancing or advocating for clinical services. Service contribution can include developing innovative educational or clinical programs, significantly enhancing delivery of services to underserved populations, working to increase funding for non-profit agencies, or advocating to improve mental health service delivery or reduce mental health disparities.

Distinguished Student Leadership Award in Clinical Psychology

Honors a graduate student in clinical psychology who has demonstrated outstanding leadership to the profession, within local and/or national organizations, including departments and universities. Leadership can be demonstrated by serving in elected or volunteer positions within such organizations, or taking leadership in the formation or development of new services or programs.

Recipients of the award will receive a certificate, a $300 honorarium and one free year of Student Membership to SCP (for 2025). The Division 12 Diversity Committee in collaboration with the Division 12 Education and Training Committee will determine the award recipient based on demonstrated excellence in contributions to diversity in one or more of the domains listed above. Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than one (1) student per year for each of the APA SCP Student Awards. If more than one student from a department wishes to be nominated for this award, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only one nomination.

Please submit nomination materials electronically via the Award Application Submission Form.

Distinguished Student Diversity Award in Clinical Psychology

Honors a clinical psychology graduate student who has made exemplary contributions to diversity. These contributions can include research, practice, training, service, scholarship, or any combination of these. Recipients must be matriculated doctoral students in clinical psychology (including predoctoral interns) who are student members of Division 12. Candidates must show documented excellence in one of the areas above or combined excellence in multiple areas. Nominations should include: a one page personal statement of their contributions to diversity in one or more of the areas of: research, practice, training, service, and scholarship; a copy of nominee’s current curriculum vitae; and at least one letter of strong endorsement (no more than two) detailing the nominee’s contributions to diversity within the field. Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than one student per year for each of the APA Division 12 Student Awards. If more than one student from a department wishes to be nominated for these awards, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only one nomination per award. Recipients of the award will receive a certificate and $300 honorarium from the SCP Diversity Committee and one free year of Student Membership to SCP (for 2025). The Division 12 Diversity Committee in collaboration with the SCP Diversity Committee will determine the award recipients based on demonstrated excellence in contributions to diversity in one or more of the domains listed above. Please submit nomination materials electronically via the Award Application Submission Form.

Distinguished Dissertation Award
Rewards excellence, innovation, and social justice in dissertation research by emphasizing dissertation topics that focus on under-researched areas, under-served populations, or innovative topics. These distinctions are broadly-defined and we invite applicants to delineate the ways in which their research addresses one or more of these areas. Topic areas must be directly related to clinical psychology. Recipients must have successfully defended their doctoral dissertation within the last 2 years and be a current member of SCP. Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than one student per year for each of the APA SCP Student Awards. If more than one student from a department wishes to be nominated for these awards, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only one nomination per award. Recipients receive a certificate, a $300 honorarium and one free year of Student Membership to SCP (for 2025). The SCP Education & Training Committee will determine the award recipient based on the following: goodness-of-fit with award criteria, quality of the completed work, potential for impact (in social justice, continued innovation, etc.), and overall promise for contribution to the field of clinical psychology. Applications require: (1) In 1 to 2 pages (maximum) describing the ways in which their dissertation research addressed an understudied question, worked with or for an under-served or under-represented population, or provided a novel innovation to a research area (research with two or more criteria encouraged); (2) a brief curriculum vitae (5 page max), including scientific publications, presentations, research and teaching experience; (3) 1 to 2-page letter of support from the chair of their dissertation committee reinforcing the degree to which the dissertation research addressed the award criteria, the promise the research holds for future work, and the merits, aptitude, and promise of the applicant. Please submit nomination materials electronically via the Award Application Submission Form.

Distinguished student scientist-practitioner award in clinical psychology▿
Honors a clinical psychology graduate student who has made outstanding contributions to both research and practice and whose work demonstrates substantial reciprocity and complementarity between research and clinical interests. This award is co-sponsored by the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) and Division 12. Recipients must be matriculated doctoral students in clinical psychology (including predoctoral interns) who are student affiliates of Division 12 or who are enrolled in a CUDCP member program. Candidates must show documented excellence in both clinical research and clinical practice. Nominations should include: a one-page personal statement of their contributions to research and practice and how their research and clinical work inform each other; a copy of nominee’s current curriculum vitae; and at least one letter of strong endorsement (no more than two letters) describing the ways in which the student demonstrates excellence in the integration of empirical science and practice. Each psychology department (i.e., not individual programs within a department) may endorse no more than one student per year for each of the APA Division 12 Student Awards. If more than one student from a department wishes to be nominated for these awards, the department must perform an initial screening and forward only one nomination per award. Recipients receive a certificate and $300 Honorarium from CUDCP and the SCP Education and Training Committee, and up to $500 to support the student’s travel to the annual APA Convention. Recipients will also receive one free year of Student Membership to SCP (for 2025). CUDCP in collaboration with the SCP Education and Training Committee will determine the award recipients based on demonstrated excellence in contributions to science-practice integration. The awardee will be invited to the SCP Awards Ceremony at the APA Convention. Please submit nomination materials electronically via the Award Application Submission Form.