Impact of SPSP Travel Awards Extends Beyond Convention

"As a graduate student I feel like this is a fairly rare occurrence that a publisher reaches out to you so early in your career. But because I was in attendance at SPSP, and because of the prestige of my travel award and a variety of other awards, she identified me as a person to meet." – Amanda, SPSP Travel Award recipient

Every year in the lead-up to our convention, SPSP offers a great opportunity in the form of travel awards for students and distinguished teachers to attend our annual meeting. Our travel awards enable students to present their research and support the diversity of topics presented and the diverse backgrounds of our member base.

Our Travel Awards support a host of SPSP members, including undergraduates, graduate students, and teachers/scholars who have made a notable difference for their students. These awards in part support diversifying our field, supporting students in their research, and rewarding excellent pedagogy in the field of personality and social psychology.

One student who attended our convention in 2016 with the support of a travel award, notes the experience as career-changing both academically and professionally:

“Last year, the Graduate Travel Award allowed me to go to SPSP to present my research to an audience of nearly 400 researchers. Being able to attend this incredibly prestigious conference without excessive financial concerns allowed me to both reach a larger audience with my research and meet some of the leading researchers in our field to establish a lasting connection. At SPSP 2016, I met with a researcher who I had a few ties with but had not met in person before. She and I met and spoke about a few ideas we had in common. We hit it off right away both academically and interpersonally. We even signed a contract together to write a book! I didn't just meet researchers but I also had the opportunity to meet with a publisher. As a graduate student I feel like this is a fairly rare occurrence that a publisher reaches out to you so early in your career. But because I was in attendance at SPSP, and because of the prestige of my travel award and a variety of other awards, she identified me as a person to meet. I cannot be more grateful to SPSP for the support and the opportunity to become a more integrated member of my field.” – Amanda

If you or anyone you know would like to apply for next year’s travel awards or would like to learn more, please visit our Travel Awards page. Our Graduate Travel and Diversity endowments provide for the annual opportunity to support our students and exceptional teachers/scholars in personality and social psychology. Thank you to our members for making this program possible.

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