Texas Psychological Foundation Student Awards

Supporting Student Research and Academic Achievement in Texas Psychology

The TPF Student Awards support and recognize exceptional research and academic achievements by psychology students in Texas. These awards aim to encourage innovative research and support the professional development of emerging psychologists. All recipients will be honored during the TPA Annual Conference in Austin, Texas, November 12-14.

The submission Deadline is September 11, 2026.

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TPF Student Awards

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be an undergraduate or graduate student in psychology, or a closely related field, in Texas, attending at least half-time.
  • The applicant must be in good academic standing.
  • Individuals who have previously received a TPF Award are not eligible to win again.

View past TPF Award recipients.

Award Categories

Students may apply for one of the Texas Psychological Foundation's student award opportunities, each designed to support research, recognize achievement, and encourage professional growth.

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Texas Psychological Foundation Fellowship Award

Overview: The intent of this grant is to fund innovative psychological science research projects. These funds can be used to pay participants, purchase essential equipment or software, acquire books or instruction manuals critical to one's line of research, or for other direct research costs. The funds are encouraged not to be used for indirect costs such as salary/stipend, travel, personal computers, or class textbooks. Research proposals will be reviewed based on the quality of the background/introduction, project motivation and rationale, proposed methodology, feasibility, and overall theoretical significance and merit.

Recipients of this fellowship will present their findings at a Research Paper Session at the subsequent TPA Conference. Registration for the TPA Conference will be covered by TPF.

Award Amount: $3,000 per recipient, up to two total recipients

How to Apply: Submit the following documents as a single PDF file.

Abbreviated Research Proposal

  • No more than three single-spaced pages, using 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins.
  • Must include: specific aim(s)/purpose, background, significance, proposed research methodology, limitations, implications of the proposed research, and a detailed budget.
  • If the proposed project is receiving funding from another source, the budget must clearly outline what those funds cover and justify the need for additional funding. Projects with external funding are permitted, provided the budget justification is clear.
  • Figures, tables, and appendices are allowed but must fit within the three-page limit.
  • A references section may be included on a separate page and will not count toward the three-page limit.

Letter of Support

A letter from the applicant’s supervisor or faculty mentor must confirm the following:

  • The applicant is an undergraduate or graduate student in psychology, or a closely related field, in good academic standing.
  • The applicant is capable of successfully completing the project prior to degree conferral.
  • The proposed project is feasible and contributes to psychology-related knowledge relevant to Texas and beyond.

Texas Psychological Foundation Honoree Award

Overview: The TPF Honoree Award recognizes outstanding original research projects conducted on any topic in psychology. The award will be judged by a panel of TPF members and will be awarded on the basis of both the quality of the research project and the writing. The submission may be an original empirical investigation, a qualitative review paper, or a meta-analysis. There may be co-authors, but the student submitting the paper must be the first author. Submissions do not have to be of published or accepted journal articles.

Award Amount: $1,000 per recipient, up to three total recipients

How to Apply: Submit the following documents.

Research Project

  • A full paper in APA (7th ed.) format reporting the project. This should be a complete report of the work, as would be written for a journal submission.
  • The manuscript should include an abstract, introduction/rationale, methods, results, discussion, limitations, and implications.

Honoree Award: Letter of Support

A letter from the applicant's supervisor or faculty mentor must confirm the following:

  • The applicant is an undergraduate or graduate student in psychology, or a closely related field, in good academic standing.
  • The applicant's work on the project merits first authorship.

Ready to Apply?

Submit your materials by September 11, 2026, to be considered for the Texas Psychological Foundation Student Awards.

Apply Now