Psi Chi Awards and Grants
The national Psi Chi society makes more than $250,000 available each year for grants, awards, and sponsorships. Keep your eye on this page to see if you are eligible to apply for grants and/or awards.
Allyn & Bacon Awards
The Psi Chi/Allyn & Bacon Psychology Awards, sponsored by Allyn & Bacon Publishers, are open to all undergraduate Psi Chi members and are awarded to those who submit the best overall empirical research papers. The awards are $1,000 for first place, $650 for second place, and $350 for third place. The abstracts of the winning papers, as well as photographs and brief biographies of the top three winners, are published in Eye on Psi Chi.
Bandura Graduate Award
All psychology graduate students who are Psi Chi members and graduate student affiliates of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) are eligible to submit their research for the Psi Chi/APS Albert Bandura Graduate Research Award. The winner receives the following: (1) travel expenses to attend the APS National Convention to receive the award, (2) a three-year membership in APS, including subscriptions to all APS journals, and (3) two engraved plaques, one for the winner and one for the winner's psychology department as a permanent honor to the winner. This award is presented during the APS opening ceremony at the APS National Convention.
Erlbaum Awards
The Psi Chi/Erlbaum Awards in Cognitive Science, sponsored by publisher Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc, are open to all Psi Chi undergraduate and graduate Psi Chi members and are awarded to those who submit the best overall empirical studies in the area of cognitive science. The awards are $500 for the first-place graduate student and $500 for the first-place undergraduate student. The abstracts of the winning papers, as well as photographs and brief biographies of the top two winners, are published in Eye on Psi Chi.
Guilford Awards
All Psi Chi undergraduate members are eligible to submit their research for the Psi Chi/J. P. Guilford Undergraduate Research Awards. Cash awards are $1,000 for first place, $650 for second place, and $350 for third place. In addition, all winners and their faculty research advisors receive award certificates. The abstracts of the winning papers, as well as photographs and brief biographies of the top three winners, are published in Eye on Psi Chi.
National Convention Research Awards
All Psi Chi members (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible to submit their research for the National Convention Research Awards. Cash awards of $300 for undergraduates and $500 for graduates are presented to students submitting the best research for Psi Chi sessions at the APA and APS national conventions. Up to 16 awards are given: 8 for the APA Convention and 8 for the APS Convention. Award monies are distributed at the conventions following the presentations.
Newman Graduate Award
All psychology graduate students are eligible to submit their research for the Psi Chi/APA Edwin B. Newman Graduate Research Award. The winner receives the following: (1) travel expenses to attend the APA/Psi Chi National Convention to receive the award, (2) a three-year subscription to an APA journal of the winner's choice, and (3) two engraved plaques, one for the winner and one for the winner's psychology department as a permanent honor to the winner. In addition, the abstract of the winning paper, as well as a photograph and brief biography of the winner, is published in Eye on Psi Chi. This award is presented during the prestigious APA/APF Awards ceremony at the APA/Psi Chi National Convention in August.
Regional Research Awards
All Psi Chi members (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible to submit their research for the Regional Research Awards. Cash awards of $300 each are presented to students submitting the best research papers to Psi Chi sessions at regional conventions. The number of awards in each region varies based on the size of the region; a total of 78 awards of $300 each are available each academic year. Award monies are distributed at the conventions following the presentations. Deadlines for submissions vary according to region and sometimes from year to year; check your fall regional mailing or the Psi Chi website for details.
Research Grants
APA Science Directorate Internship Grant
All undergraduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for this internship. The purpose of this program is to provide funds for one undergraduate student to gain experience in science administration through a summer internship with APA. The Science Directorate pays approximately $3,500 for a 10-week period, while Psi Chi awards an additional $2,000 for living expenses.
Faculty Advisor Research Grants
All current faculty advisors and coadvisors who have served an active Psi Chi chapter for at least one year are eligible to apply for these faculty advisor research grants. The purpose of this program is to provide funds for advisors to defray the direct costs of conducting a research project (no stipends included). Two grants will be awarded annually within each of Psi Chi's six regions, for a total of 12 grants. The maximum amount of each grant will be $2,000.
FBI NCAVC Internship Grants
All undergraduate and graduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for this internship grant. The purpose of this program is to provide annual grants to aid two Psi Chi members in conducting research at the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes (NCAVC). Two grants up to $7,000 will be awarded annually for the 14-week unpaid position. February 1 is the deadline for fall internships and June 1 is the deadline for spring internships.
Graduate Research Grants
All graduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for these graduate research grants. The purpose of this program is to provide funds for members to defray the cost of conducting a research project. Applicants may request up to $1,500 for each project. A total of $10,000 has been allotted for this student grant program.
Hunt Research Grants
All Psi Chi student and faculty members are eligible to apply for a Thelma Hunt Research Grant. Up to three grants of up to $3,000 each are presented annually to enable members to complete empirical research that addresses a question directly related to Psi Chi. Unlike other national Psi Chi award/grant programs, the Hunt Grants focus on research directly related to the mission of Psi Chi.
NSF/REU Grants
All undergraduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for these summer research grants, which are offered by Psi Chi in conjunction with the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The purpose of this program is to provide funds for members to conduct summer research at nationally recognized research institutions that have been identified by NSF as REU sites. This research must be conducted while still an undergraduate, not after graduation. Psi Chi will award a total of six grants to fund Psi Chi members who qualify for an NSF/REU grant during the academic year. A total of $38,400 has been allotted for this grant program. The deadline for this grant program is spring.
Summer Research Grants
All undergraduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for these summer research grants (research must be conducted while still an undergraduate, not after graduation). The purpose of this program is to provide funds for members to conduct summer research at nationally recognized research institutions. Psi Chi will award 10 grants of $3,500 (a stipend of $2,500 to the Psi Chi student plus $1,000 to the sponsoring faculty member at the research institution).
SuperLab Research Grants
All undergraduate and graduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for these research grants. The purpose of this program is to provide annual grants to aid one undergraduate and one graduate student in conducting computer-based research. Grant winners receive a copy of SuperLab experimental lab software and a response pad from Cedrus.
Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference Grants
The purpose of this program is to provide funds for local/regional undergraduate psychology research conferences. Funding is intended for conferences that will invite student research presenters from at least three schools in the area and will notify all Psi Chi chapters in the geographic area of the conference. The maximum grant for each conference is $1,000.
Undergraduate Research Grants
All undergraduate Psi Chi members are eligible to apply for these undergraduate research grants. The purpose of this program is to provide funds for members to defray the cost of conducting a research project. Applicants may request up to $1,500 for each project. A total of $45,000 has been allotted for this student grant program.

