Brief Statement about the Grant Program
The Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy offers the Charles J. Gelso, Ph.D.,
Psychotherapy Research Grants annually. Each year, three $5,000 grants support
research on psychotherapy process and/or outcome by graduate students, predoctoral
interns, postdoctoral fellows, and psychologists, including early career psychologists.
Eligibility
Graduate students, predoctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows, and psychologists who are
members of the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy are eligible. The
Research Committee reserves the right not to award a grant if there are insufficient
submissions or if submissions do not meet the stated criteria.
Program Goals
- Advance understanding of psychotherapy process and/or outcome through support of empirical research
- Encourage talented early-career researchers toward careers in psychotherapy research
- Support psychologists engaged in high-quality psychotherapy research Funding Specifics
- Three annual grants of $5,000 each are paid in one lump sum to the individual researcher, the researcher's university grants and contracts office, or an incorporated company. Indirect costs are not permitted. Individuals who receive funds directly may incur tax liabilities (see the IRS page on Grants to Individuals).
- A researcher may receive only one Gelso grant.
- Funds will be disbursed by December 15 of the year in which the award is announced.
Evaluation Criteria
1. Alignment with the program goals
2. Coherence of theoretical formulation (as presented in the background section)
3. Contribution to the literature
4. Clinical implications (as presented in the Clinical Impact Statement)
5. Method, procedure, and sample
6. Appropriateness of data analysis
7. Plan and timeline for completion
8. Quality of writing
9. Budget justification
10. Applicant's competence to carry out the project
Required Components
Proposal Form Link
Applicants must complete and submit the above application only (do not submit additional attachments, e.g., CVs or letters of recommendation)
The application must include:
- A project description with title, goals, relevant background, target population, method, anticipated outcomes, and dissemination plans
- An abbreviated CV of the principal investigator focused on research activities
- A timeline for completion (priority is given to projects that can be completed within two years)
- A full budget with a justification clearly indicating how grant funds will be spent
- For graduate students, predoctoral interns, and postdoctoral fellows: an abbreviated CV of the supervising mentor and a letter of recommendation from the mentor is included in the application itself.
Grant Terms and Conditions
- Within three months of receiving the award, recipients must submit a short project summary for the Society's website and Psychotherapy Bulletin.
- Recipients must submit a progress summary form every six months until the project is complete, followed by a brief final report summarizing the findings.
- Funds will be released upon documentation of IRB approval.
- Grant funds not spent on the project within two years of receipt must be returned.
- Publications resulting from the research must acknowledge the grant in the author note.
- Individuals who receive funds directly must complete an IRS W-9 form before funds are released and will receive a 1099 after the end of the fiscal year (December 31). Recipients outside the U.S. must complete the appropriate W-8 form (typically W-8BEN).
- Any substantive changes to the approved research plan, budget, or timeline must be reported to and approved by the Society in advance.
Submission Process
- Submit the single application file (no additional attachments) to Tracey A. Martin, Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (APA Division 29) Central Office: assnmgmt1@cox.net
- You will receive an electronic confirmation within 24 hours. If you do not receive confirmation, your proposal was not received; please resubmit.
- Submission deadline: March 1