Early Career Psychologist (ECP) Scholarships

Scholarship Description

Today’s early career psychologists (ECPs) represent tomorrow’s educators and leaders of professional psychology.  ABPPF, with the generous support of the Council of Professional Psychology Specialty Academies (CPPSA), is committed to participating in the growth of these future educators and leaders in professional psychology by promoting and supporting their path toward board certification in an ABPP-recognized specialty as they begin and advance their careers as psychologists.

The goal of ABPPF’s ECP Scholarship Program is to provide financial support for psychologists seeking ABPP board certification who earned their doctoral degree less than 10 years ago and who meet the criteria of their chosen ABPP specialty. Psychologists who do not meet the definition of “early career” (i.e., those who received the doctoral degree more than 10 year ago) or who are already board certified by ABPP are not eligible for ABPPF ECP scholarships. Scholarship awards are made on a competitive basis and provide up to $765 to cover ABPP board certification fees.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for a scholarship award, the individual must:

• Have received the doctoral degree no more than 10 years ago
• Be actively engaged in the practice of psychology in the applicant’s declared ABPP specialty
• Not already be ABPP board certified
• Meets ABPP’s board certification criteria
• Meets the specialty’s board certification requirements

Application Information

• ABPP Foundation Scholarship Application Coversheet
• A Curriculum Vitae (CV),
• A copy of the communication from ABPP stating that the applicant meets qualifications for the chosen ABPP specialty.
• Narrative responses to each of the following questions: click here.

1. Describe your reason(s) for seeking board certification. The reason(s) might be personal or professional, or both.
2. Describe how in your professional work, you demonstrate professional involvement in matters related to individual and cultural diversity (e.g., through training, service provision, service setting, personal background). Individual and cultural diversity includes but is not limited to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and social economic status. In addition, discuss how your current involvements advance respect for diversity and multiculturalism.
3. In awarding a Scholarship, ABPP-F considers an applicant’s readiness and motivation to actively engage in the board certification process. Describe how you plan to accomplish the submission of the Practice Sample within 12 months of advancing to the Practice Sample phase.
4. ABPP Specialty Examining Boards and Academies are the organizational means by which the examination for and advocacy of board certification are accomplished. Examples of the opportunities to support board certification after an applicant becomes ABPP board certified include: (a) encouraging colleagues to become board certified; (b) serving as a Specialty mentor, practice sample reviewer, and/or oral examiner; (c) serving as a member/officer of an examining and/or academy board; and (d) assisting in the financial support of scholarships for future ECP applicants. Discuss how you might contribute to the future board certification of psychologists after you achieve board certification.