PSYCHOLOGY SUMMER INSTITUTE (PSI) APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Washington, DC

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1 Washington, DC Contents GENERAL INFORMATION... 2 Eligibility... 2 Award Criteria... 2 Length of PSI... 2 Cost to Attend... 3 PSI Format... 3 List of Required Materials... 3 OVERVIEW FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION... 4 COPYING LAST YEAR S APPLICATION: RETURNING APPLICANTS ONLY:... 4 SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION ONLINE... 4 APPLICATION FORM... 5 OTHER REQUIRED DOCUMENTS Statement of Purpose Concept Paper Curriculum Vitae Proposal Verification Acceptance Recommendation Letters P age

2 Deadline is May 1 If you have any questions about our application process, you may contact the MFP office at: (202) or mfp@apa.org GENERAL INFORMATION The purpose of PSI is to provide advanced doctoral and early career participants with mentoring, educational, and professional development experiences that will advance them in the development of tangible projects, thus furthering their careers in psychology. To that end, PSI is designed to provide opportunities to network with federal and foundation representatives as well as leading ethnic minority psychologists from across the country at various levels. Please review the instructions carefully and thoroughly. Following the instructions will help you put together the very best application possible. At all times, use language that is clear and concise. As a precaution, and for your own future reference, keep a copy of all application materials. Eligibility PSI provides training to participants who will soon transition or have recently transitioned from graduate school into the early stages of their careers. Therefore, graduate students who have successfully defended their dissertation proposals prior to the close of the applications (May 1), as well as early career psychologists, are eligible for this program. Both applicants who have received an MFP Fellowship as well as applicants who have not received an MFP Fellowship are eligible. Previous PSI participants may not apply to attend an additional year. Some of the grant funding requires that participants must be United States citizens, non-citizen nationals of the United States, or permanent residents prior to the submission of the application. Non-citizen nationals are persons born in lands which are not States but which are under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration (e.g. U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, etc.). Individuals who are not U.S. citizens have to upload with their application any of the following documents that will provide legal verification of admission for permanent residence: a permanent resident card; permanent resident visa (I-151 or I-551); certificate of non-citizen national status; birth certificate; U.S. passport; or other legal verification of admission for permanent residence. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. You may apply if you do not meet these requirements but please be aware that your chances of being accepted may be reduced due to funding stipulations by the federal government. Award Criteria The selection of awardees will be based upon the strengths and potential of their concepts, recommendation letters, and the degree of match with mentor specialties, the goals of PSI and applicant goals/qualifications, and availability. Applicants will be notified by once the selection decisions are made and they can check their status online. Length of PSI The institute will begin with an evening reception on Sunday and end with a closing reception the following Saturday. The six days of intensive training will be filled with seminars, 2 Page Deadline is May 1

3 mentoring, and time to further develop projects. Participants will return to their homes on Sunday after the closing dinner. Applicants must commit to all PSI events and sessions including opening and closing receptions. Cost to Attend Those participants who are selected to participate will be reimbursed for all reasonable expenses related to PSI. Travel arrangements will be made directly with APA s travel office and directly billed to MFP. An will be sent after the participation survey is completed by the accepted applicants detailing how to make travel arrangements. Hotel accommodations will be directly billed to MFP and no arrangements need to be made by the participant. Most rooms are double occupancy and will be shared with another participant of the same gender. The majority of meals will be covered by MFP at the Institute. Once the offer is accepted, the participant must complete participation in PSI (travel and attendance). If they are not able to do so, they will be required to reimburse APA/MFP any associated costs. PSI Format In general, the daily schedule will be filled with plenary sessions (covering topics relevant to the entire group) and breakout sessions (covering topics relevant to both research and services. Peer mentoring and one-on-one mentoring will occur during the days and at group dinners. Time will be allotted for participants to further develop their projects. Each participant will be required to give a multimedia presentation of her/his project. Usually participants will attend PSI with a larger group of participants joining for the last two days. Some of the sessions will be broken into smaller groups. List of Required Materials A complete PSI application includes the following documents: Application Form Statement of Purpose Concept Paper Curriculum Vitae Two Recommendation Letters (one letter must come from the applicant s current advisor/supervisor, mentor or department chair) For predoctoral applicants proof of dissertation proposal defense must be included Permanent Resident Card for applicants who are permanent residents. Non-Citizen Nationals only may submit other legal verification of status. These may be uploaded through the online system. 3 Page Deadline is May 1

4 OVERVIEW FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION All applications and recommendations must be submitted via the online recommendation form. We do not accept ed, faxed or mailed recommendations*. * If you or your recommenders have extenuating circumstances, please contact the MFP Office and we will work with you to make sure your recommendation is submitted. 1. Make sure that your filters will allow s from mfp@apa.org. 2. Complete all sections of the form. 3. You can select Save as Draft to save your current work. 4. Upon completion, click the SUBMIT AS FINAL button on the bottom of the form. You will receive an confirmation from mfp@apa.org. 5. Save your work often! The system will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. COPYING LAST YEAR S APPLICATION: RETURNING APPLICANTS ONLY: If you applied last year, you may wish to clone your application. This will allow all of the data from your application form last year, including supporting uploads, to appear in your application form for this year. Please contact the MFP office via telephone or to request your application to be cloned. Please note: the application form may slightly change from year to year. Thus, any new questions will require an answer. We additionally strongly encourage you to preview your recommenders and uploads from last year and consider updating them to reflect any new experiences and/or accomplishments. SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION ONLINE All applications and recommendations must be submitted via our online application system. For more information, visit our web site: DEADLINE IS MAY 1 * If you or your recommender have extenuating circumstances that require special accommodations, please contact the MFP Office and we will work with you to make sure your application/recommendation is submitted. Please refer to the second tab on the application system s welcome page, titled Application Process for instructions on how to register in our system and create an application. You will be able to save your progress while completing the application. Set your spam filter to accept messages from mfp@apa.org. 4 Page Deadline is May 1

5 Save your work often! The system will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. Guidance on Application Questions APPLICATION FORM Screen Tab Instructions Suffix: Applicant Suffix is anything that comes after your full name such as Jr. or III. If any of your application materials are listed Previous (Maiden) Name: Applicant under a different name, enter your previous name. Name Applicant First and Last Name are required. Address: Applicant Your primary address must be the one with which you registered. You may add a secondary address. Mailing Address Please complete all fields. If your address is Applicant outside of the United States, please complete the street address and include the rest in the Foreign Present Mailing Address Box. Address Put the you used to register in the Applicant primary box. Primary Phone Applicant Primary phone number is required. Citizenship Applicant Citizenship information is required. Country of birth is required to be considered for all available spots. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please explain your citizenship in the box provided. 5 Page Deadline is May 1 If you are a permanent resident with a permanent registration card, you must provide a copy of your card. Non-Citizen Nationals are also required to submit verification of status. You may scan it into a PDF file and upload it after the citizenship explanation. Non-Citizen National refers to those born in US outlying territories, or born to a noncitizen national parent. Gender Demographics Select the response that best fits your gender identification.

6 Ethnicity and Race Demographics This question is based on self-definition and identification. Respond to the question related to ethnicity and race. More than one response is permitted. Family Income Demographics The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has expanded the definition of individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established lowincome thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at For individuals from low-income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such candidates (a) have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance; or (b) have received any of the following student loans: Health Professional Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program; or (c) have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need. Disability Demographics Individuals with disabilities are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. More than one response is permitted. Below are the following classifications of protected veterans: Veteran Status Demographics A disabled veteran is one of the following: o a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to 6 Page Deadline is May 1

7 compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or o a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A recently separated veteran means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An Armed forces service medal veteran means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed above, please indicate by checking the appropriate box. Doctoral University Doctoral Info Complete using where you completed (or are completing) your doctoral degree Dissertation Information Doctoral Info If you have not yet defended your proposal, put the date you intend to defend the proposal. You must successfully defend your proposal prior to submitting this application. If you are predoctoral you must provide documentation of such. See Other Required Documents. 7 Page Deadline is May 1

8 Employment Ed Status Only complete this section if you have already received your doctoral degree. Project Type Project Info Check Research (not services-related) if you plan to develop a research project that does not involve treatment models, treatment protocols, service delivery, program evaluation, policy, or organizational issues. 8 Page Deadline is May 1 Check Services Research if you plan to develop a research project involving treatment models, treatment protocols, service delivery, program evaluation, policy, or organizational issues. Check Treatment Model if you plan to develop a project related to creating and/or implementing a model for treatment that is not research-oriented. Check Training Model if you plan to develop a project related to creating and/or implementing a model for training that is not research-oriented. Check Policy if you plan to develop a project related to organizational or policy issues. If you project does not fit one of the above categories, write a brief overview of the project type in the box labeled Other. Agencies/Foundations Project Info List any agencies or foundations (public or private) with missions that are relevant to your project. You are not required to list agencies or foundations. Mentor Matches Mentors A mentor list for the current year is available in the dropdown boxes. List your choices for your PSI mentor (we cannot guarantee that you will be matched to your top choice

9 of mentor. We match mentors on a variety of criteria including your preferences included here. This list may be updated prior to the beginning of the institute. Recommenders Tab Question Instructions Enter the names and contact information of all recommenders, including your advisor. You must click on the SAVE AS DRAFT button to save your recommender information and then click on the Send Request to Recommender button to your recommenders. This will provide them with the link they need to submit their recommendations. Recommender: Once your request is sent, a red time stamp will appear with the text, Awaiting recommendation update. When the recommendation has been received by our system, this red text will be replaced with the message Recommendation has been received. You will also receive an confirmation indicating the time we received each recommendation. If your recommender is having issues receiving the , try an alternate address for them, or ask your recommender to coordinate with their IT department to allow s from mfp@apa.org. Sometimes university firewalls prevent them from being delivered. Notifying Recommenders As soon as possible upon registering, please complete your recommender information. Go to the Recommenders Tab, and fill out the contact information for your recommenders. After doing so, make sure to click the button labeled SAVE AS DRAFT ; you will then be able to Edit, Delete, or the Recommender. Once you have made sure that all the information submitted is correct, you may select the button labeled Send Request to Recommender which will generate an from MFP to your recommenders, asking them to complete the recommendation form. Notify your recommenders that they will be receiving an from mfp@apa.org and to have their spam filters allow the that they will need in order to provide you with a 9 Page Deadline is May 1

10 recommendation. If they still do not receive the link, you may log back into your application and request that the link be resent. Check with your recommenders to make certain they have received this link prior to the application deadline. You will be able to send the links multiple times if necessary. 10 Page Deadline is May 1

11 OTHER REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 1. Statement of Purpose Attach a brief statement (1/2 to 1 page) describing why you are applying to attend PSI. Focus on how you expect to benefit from your experiences at PSI. Be sure to provide continuity between your goals and expectations in this section and the ideas you present in your concept paper. Make sure that your name is at the top of the page. 2. Concept Paper The concept paper is the most important aspect of the application process. Your concept paper should be well formulated and presented in sufficient detail so that it can be evaluated for its potential and merit. Be clear and concise, but include sufficient information to permit an effective review. Your work should be related to ethnic minority mental health/substance abuse research or treatment. The narrative should represent your ideas and your project should fit your overall training needs and goals. Considerable time developing your concept paper will be spent at PSI; therefore, the paper you submit as part of this application does not need to be definitive. It does, however, need to be in a format that will allow you and your mentor to work together in fine-tuning your concept. The concept paper should not exceed 5 pages (single-spaced, 12-point font, 1 inch margins), including all tables and figures. The page limit does not include references. Each section should include a clear and appropriate heading (e.g., Significance of the Problem, Goals and Objectives, etc.). Follow the following format: Project Title Choose a title for your concept paper that is descriptive rather than general. The title should not be worded in a way that would easily be misconstrued if quoted out of context. Include the title and your name at the top of the page. Significance of the Problem Discuss the issues that form the basis of the problem and how your project would add to previous work in this area. The problem should be related to ethnic minority mental health/ substance abuse research, treatment, or policy. Describe the relevance and applicability of your project to any relevant agencies or foundations. Brief supporting data may be included in this section. Goals and Objectives State the overall goal of the project. If applicable, state the precise question(s) to be addressed. List any objectives in prioritized order. Methodology/Procedures Focus on the significant points of your objectives. Address the most reasonable questions. Describe how you would conduct the project. Define the participants or target population. If you are proposing interventions, describe their content and how you would implement them. For research-related projects, describe the 11 P age Deadline is May 1

12 sources and types of data, including sample size and the duration of the project. Finally, include a brief description of the setting for your project. Budget Include a rough estimate of a budget needed to complete your project. The budget is important in that it will provide the mentors with information regarding your understanding of how to develop a budget. It is acceptable to state that you do not know how to develop a budget; however, you must still include your best estimate. Evaluation and Analysis Discuss how you will determine whether your original questions have been answered, the potential contribution of positive and negative findings, and the potential practice and/or policy relevance of your project. References Include a bibliography of references that were cited in your paper (in APA format). 3. Curriculum Vitae Attach a current copy of your curriculum vitae. It will potentially be used to: Help your mentor understand your training experiences, Fine-tune your CV with suggestions from your mentor, and Help you develop professional biosketches 4. Proposal Verification Acceptance Attach a letter or form from your advisor or department stating that you have successfully defended your dissertation proposal before the close of this application cycle (May 1). If your program does not require a proposal defense, you must attach a letter stating such and verifying that you are at an advanced doctoral stage. 5. Recommendation Letters Enter the names, positions, and contact information of 2 individuals who are best able to assess your qualifications for PSI and the potential PSI will have for your career development. Recommenders should be very specific regarding your qualifications and how PSI would benefit you. See instructions above for sending s to allow your recommenders to upload their recommendation letters and curriculum vitae. Early Career participants 1 letter must be from your supervisor, clinic director, senior research collaborator, mentor or department chair (whichever person is most applicable). Predoctoral participants 1 letter must be from your research advisor, major professor, or clinical advisor (whichever person is most applicable). We wish you much success in your career as you apply for our summer institute! If you have any questions about our application process, you may contact the MFP office at: (202) or mfp@apa.org 12 P age Deadline is May 1