Funding Opportunities
F.J. McGuigan Dissertation Award
The F. J. McGuigan Dissertation Award, supports dissertation research that addresses any aspect of mental function (e.g., cognition, affect, motivation) and seeks to understand the mind from both a behavioral and neural perspective.
The F. J. McGuigan Dissertation Award, supports dissertation research that addresses any aspect of mental function (e.g., cognition, affect, motivation) and seeks to understand the mind from both a behavioral and neural perspective.
Proposed research should be compatible with McGuigan’s overall goals and may fall within any area of contemporary behavioral or brain science (including more recent forms of cognitive psychology).
Eligibility
APF encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds with respect to age, race, color, religion, creed, nationality, ability, sexual orientation, gender, and geography.
Applicants must:
- have completed doctoral candidacy, including dissertation approval by doctoral committee
- have a demonstrated commitment to stated program goals (Dualistic approaches characteristic of much contemporary cognitive research are specifically ineligible.)
Application Instructions
Application Materials:
- project proposal
- project timeline (not to exceed one page; typically, APF grants are for 1 year)
- detailed budget and justification (not to exceed one page)
- abbreviated CV (not to exceed five pages)
- recommendation letter from academic advisor (requested through application portal)
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated on:
- conformance with the stated program goals
- quality, viability, and potential impact of the proposed project
- originality, innovation, and contribution to the field
- applicant’s demonstrated competence and capability to execute the proposed work
- allocation of resources and criticality of funding for execution of work (particularly if part of a larger funded effort)
Please be advised that APF does not provide feedback to applicants on their proposals.
Please review our Program FAQs for important details on the application process.
Recent Recipient
Rebecca Revilla
University of South Carolina
“Unraveling Neural Mechanisms of Adolescent Prosocial Behaviors: A Brain to Behavior Approach”
Past Recipients
2024
Rebecca Revilla, University of South Carolina
“Unraveling Neural Mechanisms of Adolescent Prosocial Behaviors: A Brain to Behavior Approach”
2023
Linlin Fan, University of Texas at Dallas
“Neural Stimulation for Reducing Paranoia and Improving Social Functioning in Schizophrenia”
2022
Kenneth J. Thompson, Alliant International University
“Differentiating Two Subtypes of Alexithymia: Internal Deficits Versus External Influences”
2021
Honorary recipient: Kathryn Predergast, University of Alabama at Birmingham
2020
Marta Stojanovic, Washington University in St. Louis
2019
Kaylie Carbine, Brigham Young University
2018
Megan Speer, Rutgers University
2017
Michael Sun, University of California, Los Angeles
2016
Forest Gruss, University of Florida
2015
Rachel K. Bencic Hamilton, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2014
Kathleen Hazlett, Marquette University
2013
Ross MacLean, Pennsylvania State University
2012
Marc Coutanche, University of Pennsylvania
2011
Anna Docherty, University of Missouri, Columbia
2010
Elizabeth Shulman, University of California, Irvine
2009
Lauren M. Bylsma, University of South Florida