Forensic Psychologist Scholarships
The American Psychological Association (APA), and its affiliate organizations, provide a wide array of awards and scholarships to students in forensic psychology degree programs at all levels – undergraduate, graduate, and even post-doctoral training. These monetary awards, research grants, and fellowship opportunities help advance the science and practice of forensic psychology by improving access to education and promoting careers in this vital subfield of psychology.
Although psychology scholarships, grants, and awards through the APA and affiliated organizations are widely available, they aren’t always easy to find. ForensicPsychologyEDU.org set out to change all that. We put together a full list of current criminal psychology scholarships available to forensic psychology students, providing key details and organizing the entire thing according to degree level:
Undergraduate Scholarships and Other Monetary Awards for Forensic Psychology Students
Here are some of the most prominent scholarships for forensic psychology.
CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program
Benefits: Up to $18,000 per calendar year
Requirements:
- Must possess a minimum GPA of 3.0
- Must be either a high school senior planning to enroll in a 4- or 5-year program or a college sophomore enrolled in a 4 – to 5-year college program
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must possess a minimum of 1000 SAT or 21 ACT
Details: Must continue employment with the CIA after college graduation for a period of 1.5 times the length of the scholarship.
Minority Affairs Committee Diversity Travel Awards
Benefits: Seven travel awards of $500 each
Requirements: Must be a current graduate or undergraduate student from an underrepresented group
Details: Provides travel awards to students from underrepresented groups who are presenting research at the American-Psychology Law Society Conference
Morris K. Udall Foundation, Morris K. Udall Undergraduate Scholarships
Benefits: unknown
Requirements:
- Must be a Native American or Alaska Native student
- Must be a sophomore or junior-level student at a two- or four-year institution
Details: Merit-based scholarships that support students who demonstrate a commitment to a career related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native healthcare
AP-LS Award for Best Undergraduate Paper
Benefits: Awards of $150 to $500
Requirements: Students must have submitted the paper during their undergraduate career
Details: Recognizes an outstanding undergraduate research paper focused on the study of psychology and law
The University of Louisville, Grawemeyer Award in Psychology
Benefits: No less than $100,000
Requirements: Nominations are judged on the basis of originality, creativity, scientific merit, and breadth of impact on the field of psychology
Details: Recognizes outstanding ideas in all areas of psychology
National Security Education Program, David L. Boren Scholarship Program
Benefits: Up to $20,000
Requirements: Must be an undergraduate student studying abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests; must be interested in studying less commonly taught languages
Details: Fields of interest should be deemed relevant to national security
Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53 Student Achievement Award
Benefits: $250 for each award
Requirements: Open to all undergraduate students and graduate students in APA or CPA-accredited master and doctoral-level programs
Details: Awarded to one undergraduate, one early-stage graduate student, and two later-stage graduate students who contribute to the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology, primarily through research
Graduate Scholarships and Other Monetary Awards for Forensic Psychology Students
APA Dissertation Research Award
Benefits: 30-40 grants of $1,000 each; several larger grants of $5,000 each
Requirements: Must be graduate students of psychology in good standing with their university
Details: Designed for students whose dissertation research reflects excellence in scientific psychology
APF Annette Urso Rickel Foundation Dissertation Award for Public Policy
Benefits: $1,000 scholarship
Requirements: Must be a graduate student in psychology enrolled full-time; must have completed a doctoral candidacy, including dissertation approval by a doctoral committee
Details: Supports dissertation research on public policy
Lizette Peterson-Homer Injury Prevention Grant Award
Benefits: $5,000
Requirements: Must submit a research proposal and a current curriculum vitae
Details: For research on the prevention of injuries in children and adolescents through violence, accidents, abuse, or suicide
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues: The Clara Mayo Grants
Benefits: Up to four $1,000 grants
Requirements: Must be matriculated in a graduate program in psychology, applied social science, and/or related disciplines
Details: Supports masters’ theses or pre-dissertation research on aspects of sexism, racism, or prejudice
Society for Clinical Society, Thesis Award
Benefits: $500
Requirements: Must be a graduate student enrolled full-time in an APA-approved graduate program
Details: Supports basic or applied graduate student research relevant to the field of clinical neuropsychology
Society for Clinical Neuropsychology Dissertation Award
Benefits: $1,000
Requirements: Must be a graduate student enrolled full-time in an APA-approved graduate program
Details: Award supports basic or applied graduate student research relevant to the field of clinical neuropsychology
Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Student Fellowship
Benefits: $25,000 fellowships for graduate students in child psychology
Requirements: Must have completed a doctoral candidacy
Details: Supports graduate research projects and scholarships in child psychology
Benefits: $1,500 for research in the behavioral aspects of human reproductive behavior or an area related to population concerns
Requirements: Must be a graduate student conducting dissertation research
Details: Supports young psychologists with a demonstrated interest in the behavioral aspects of human reproductive behavior
Benefits: Four $1,000 grants
Requirements: Must be a graduate student member of the APAGS and enrolled at least half-time as a student
Details: Provides support for graduate students conducting psychological science research studies
American Psychology-Law Society, Diversity Travel Awards
Benefits: Seven $500 awards
Requirements: Must be a current graduate or undergraduate student from an underrepresented group
Details: Provides travel awards to students from underrepresented groups presenting research at the American Psychology-Law Society Conference
American Psychological Foundation, Randy Gerson Memorial Grant
Benefits: $6,000 for work in the systemic understanding of couple and/or family dynamics and/or multigenerational processes
Requirements: Must be a graduate student in psychology enrolled full-time and in good standing
Details: Work must advance theory, assessment, or clinical practice in couple and/or family dynamics and/or multigenerational processes
American Psychological Foundation, Wayne F. Placek Grants
Benefits: $15,000 to support empirical research from all fields of the behavioral and social sciences on any topic related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender issues
Requirements: Must be either a doctoral-level researcher or graduate student affiliated with an educational institution of a nonprofit research organization; graduate students are encouraged to apply
Details: Supports empirical research from all fields of the behavioral and social sciences on any topic related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender issues
American Psychological Foundation, Visionary Grants
Benefits: Up to $20,000
Requirements: Must be affiliated with a nonprofit organization
Details: Designed to seed innovation through supporting research, education, and intervention projects and programs
Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, Charles J. Gelso Ph.D. Psychotherapy Research Grants
Benefits: Three grants of up to $5,000 each
Requirements: Open to all doctoral-level researchers with a successful record of publication
Details: Designed for the advancement of research on psychotherapy process and/or outcome
Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, Norine Johnson Ph.D. Psychotherapy Research Grant
Benefits: $10,000
Requirements: Must be doctoral-level researchers with a demonstrated competence in the area of proposed work
Details: Grant is used toward the advancement of research on psychotherapeutic factors that may impact treatment outcomes
APA Science Directorate, APA Student Travel Award
Benefits: $300
Requirements: Must be a psychology graduate student traveling to the APA convention to present research
Details: Supports travel to the APA convention to present research
Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation Graduate Scholarship
Benefits: Two $1,000s scholarships
Requirements: Must be a graduate student studying psychology, cognitive, or behavioral science in Florida
Details: The Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation is exclusively educational and charitable in nature
American Psychological Foundation, Paul E. Henkin School Psychology Travel Grant
Benefits: $1,000
Requirements: Must demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of a school psychology career
Details: Grant used to defer the costs of registration, lodging, and travel for student members of the APA who attend the APA annual convention
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Social Issues Dissertation Award
Benefits: $500 to $700
Requirements: Must submit a paper to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Details: Recognizes excellence in socially relevant research
American Psychological Foundation, F.J. McGuigan Dissertation Award
Benefits: $2,000
Requirements: Must have completed a doctoral candidacy, including a dissertation approval by a doctoral committee
Details: Award supports dissertation research oriented toward advancing a unified conception of brain and behavior
American Psychological Foundation, Benton-Meier Scholarships
Benefits: $2,500
Requirements: Must be a neuropsychology graduate student who has completed a doctoral candidacy
Details: Application must be co-signed by the candidate’s faculty mentor or director of training
Benefits: $1,000
Requirements: Available only to graduate students; grant must support direct research costs
Details: Provides support for students entering their first year or the first semester of their second year of a research-oriented graduate program
Benefits: $1,000
Requirements: Must be affiliated with a nonprofit organization
Details: Grant used to seed innovation through supporting research, education, and intervention projects and programs
The University of Louisville, Grawemeyer Award in Psychology
Benefits: No less than $100,000
Requirements: Nominations are judged on the basis of originality, creativity, scientific merit, and breadth of impact on the field of psychology
Details: Recognizes outstanding ideas in all areas of psychology
Center for Women in Government and Civil Society Fellowships on Women and Public Policy
Benefits: $10,000 stipend and tuition assistance for academic coursework
Requirements: Open to graduate students and working professionals who have completed at least 12 graduate credits in any academic discipline
Details: Fellowship program is an intensive leadership development program designed to maximize the skills and contributions of women who achieve excellence in public service
Patrick H. DeLeon Prize for Outstanding Student Contribution to the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy
Benefits: $500
Requirements: Award aimed at graduate students or those who have recently completed a course of graduate training
Details: Prize awarded on the basis of a paper on the subject of psychopharmacology or the advancement of the prescriptive authority movement
Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Division 8 Graduate Student Travel Award
Benefits: $500
Requirements: Must be a graduate student who wants to attend the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting
Details: Provides conference travel to 40 graduate students
Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Student Publication Award
Benefits: $200 cash award
Requirements: Must be a student author with a paper that has been accepted for publication
Details: Recognizes excellence in student research
Benefits: $2,000 grant
Requirements: Must agree to serve as a principal investigator of the project
Details: Supports research that examines new approaches in the study of adverse impact
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, S. Rains Wallace Dissertation Award
Benefits: Cash prize of $1,000
Requirements: Must be endorsed by a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Psychological Society, or the American Psychological Association
Details: Recognizes the best doctoral dissertation research in the field of industrial and organizational psychology
The Melanie Foundation, Melanie Merola O’Donnell Memorial Scholarship
Benefits: $2,500 scholarship
Requirements: Must be pursuing a doctoral or master’s degree in the mental health field
Details: Scholarship is for one year; candidates may apply for more than one year
Benefits: Annual award of up to $10,000
Requirements: Must be a Ph.D. student in industrial and organizational psychology who is specializing in training and development or selection and placement
Details: Provides financial support to a doctoral student in industrial and organizational psychology
Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Diversity Fund Graduate Award
Benefits: Up to $500 in conference-related expenses
Requirements: Must be enrolled in a Ph.D. graduate program with an emphasis in personality/social psychology
Details: Award is given in an effort to increase the degree of diversity within personality and social psychology
Society for Personality and Social Psychology, EASP Summer School Stipends
Benefits: Five stipends per year to attend the Summer School of the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology
Requirements: Must be a personality and social psychology doctoral student currently enrolled as a Ph.D. student
Details: Summer school is held every two years
Benefits: $3,000
Requirements: Must be a full-time Ph.D. student in industrial and organizational psychology and must be an ethnic minority – Native American/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific-American, African/Caribbean-American, or Latino/Hispanic-American
Details: Offers financial assistance to a minority doctoral student in industrial-organizational psychology
Benefits: $3,000 to $3,500 scholarships
Requirements: Must be enrolled full-time and in good standing in a doctoral program in industrial-organizational psychology
Details: Awards are intended to assist doctoral students in the field of industrial and organizational psychology
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, George C. Thorton, III Graduate Scholarship
Benefits: unknown
Requirements: Reserved for the graduate student who has demonstrated achievement in both science and practice of industrial and organizational psychology; must be a Ph.D. student in industrial-organizational psychology
Details: Offers financial assistance to the doctoral student in industrial and organizational psychology
Benefits: $1,500 cash prize
Requirements: Must author a paper or chapter judged to have the highest potential to further the understanding of individual or group assessment
Details: Recognizes the best journal article or other publication that furthers public and professional understanding of individual or group assessment
Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53 Student Achievement Award
Benefits: $250 for each award
Requirements: Open to all undergraduate students and graduate students in APA or CPA-accredited master and doctoral-level programs
Details: Awarded to one undergraduate, one early-stage graduate student, and two later-stage graduate students who contribute to the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology, primarily through research
Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice, Student Dissertation Award
Benefits: Cash award and a one-year free membership to the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice
Requirements: Must possess a completed doctoral dissertation relevant to the Society’s mission
Details: Completed doctoral dissertation concerning issues of social policy, service delivery, welfare, and/or advocacy for children, youth, and families that best exemplifies the mission of the division
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Opportunities for Forensic Psychology Students
Benefits: Opportunity to spend a year at the World Health Organization in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Requirements: Open to all psychologists at all career levels with research experience and leadership in at least one of the areas related to the Mental Health Action Plan’s objectives
Details: Fellowship involves working on one or more issues related to the WHO Mental Health Action Plan
Albert Ellis Institute: Clinical Fellowship
Benefits: Opportunity for postgrads to be trained by Albert Ellis and the senior staff
Requirements: Must possess a doctorate in psychology
Details: Fellowships are part-time, two-year appointments
Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, Abe Fellowship Program
Benefits: Provides 3 to 12 months of full-time support over a 24-month period
Requirements: At least one Division member must collaborate on the required application materials
Details: Seeks to foster the development of a new generation of researchers interested in policy-relevant topics of long-range importance and global concern
Benefits: Provides an opportunity to work with individuals and representatives of the state, provincial, or territorial psychological associations
Requirements: Must have a JD or doctoral degree in psychology or a related field
Details: Develop and implement strategies to increase the sustainability of internship programs by advocating for Medicaid reimbursement for psychological services provided by doctoral psychology interns under the supervision of licensed psychologists