Summer Fellowships

Eligibility

• Must be a currently enrolled psychology graduate student in good standing.
• Must be in their first through fifth year of graduate training, in the academic year when the application is submitted.
• Must be conducting research in applied personality assessment, which involves the use or development of personality inventories to assess major aspects of human behavior and its correlates in clinical, forensic, occupational, or social settings.
• Prior recipients are eligible. Past receipt of the fellowship may be taken into consideration if a tie must be broken between applicants.
• When applicable, the project must have IRB approval before the work begins.

Terms

• May not concurrently hold a paid summer appointment at the University of Minnesota while receiving the fellowship - including a teaching or research appointment - or receive funding from another fellowship administered through the University of Minnesota (including NSF).
• May concurrently hold a paid summer appointment outside of the University of Minnesota while receiving the fellowship, and may receive funding from a fellowship not administered through the University of Minnesota. Any additional appointments or fellowships should be discussed with the faculty advisor to confirm they will not interfere with the recipient's ability to carry out the responsibilities of the fellowship.
• Recipients who are registered for credit in spring semester will receive their fellowship funds in late spring semester via student account.
• Recipients who are not registered for credit (e.g., registered for GRAD 999) in spring semester will receive their fellowship funds in mid-late summer via mailed check.
• Students who are receiving financial aid should contact One Stop Student Services prior to applying for this fellowship. If a student accepts any additional financial aid (including loans, fellowships, scholarships or grants), their current financial aid package may need to be adjusted. If aid will be negatively affected, students will have the option to request to receive their fellowship funds in mid-late summer via mailed check.
• This fellowship is intended to support full-time research. Recipients may not register for courses during the summer term but may register for courses during May term. Exceptions to the summer course registration restriction may be requested from the DGS. Costs for Summer or May term course registration will be the responsibility of the student. An exception is made for recipients who must register for one credit to meet fellowship eligibility requirements.

Expectations

Graduate students will be required to fulfill their responsibilities to the satisfaction of their faculty mentor. Students should meet with their faculty mentor to create a list of specific objectives and duties prior to the beginning of the project. 

Available Awards

• Summer 2026
  • Number of fellowships awarded: 1 ($6,500)
  • Application deadline: 10/14/25 

Shared Research Proposals

Below, you will find a successful research proposal shared with permission by a Department of Psychology graduate student to assist other students with their own fellowship applications. These materials are for internal educational use only. Please do not distribute. 

Note: The file may not be accessible to all users. An accessible version is available upon request. For assistance, contact Heidi Wolff ([email protected]).

• 2026 Proposal (UMN login required)

Eligibility

• Must be a currently enrolled psychology graduate student in good standing.
• Must be in their first through fifth year of graduate training, in the academic year when the application is submitted.
• Prior recipients are eligible. Past receipt of the fellowship may be taken into consideration if a tie must be broken between applicants.
• When applicable, the project must have IRB (human) or IACUC (animal) approval before the work begins.

Terms

• May not concurrently hold a paid summer appointment at the University of Minnesota while receiving the fellowship, including a teaching or research appointment, or receive funding from another fellowship administered through the University of Minnesota (including NSF).
• May concurrently hold a paid summer appointment outside of the University of Minnesota while receiving the fellowship, and may receive funding from a fellowship not administered through the University of Minnesota. Any additional appointments or fellowships should be discussed with the faculty advisor to confirm they will not interfere with the recipient's ability to carry out the responsibilities of the fellowship.
• Recipients who are registered for credit in spring semester will receive their fellowship funds in late spring semester via student account.
• Recipients who are not registered for credit (e.g., registered for GRAD 999) in spring semester will receive their fellowship funds in mid-late summer via mailed check.
• Students who are receiving financial aid should contact One Stop Student Services prior to applying for this fellowship. If a student accepts any additional financial aid (including loans, fellowships, scholarships or grants), their current financial aid package may need to be adjusted. If aid will be negatively affected, students will have the option to request to receive their fellowship funds in mid-late summer via mailed check.
• This fellowship is intended to support full-time research. Recipients may not register for courses during the summer term but may register for courses during May term. Exceptions to the summer course registration restriction may be requested from the DGS. Costs for Summer or May term course registration will be the responsibility of the student. An exception is made for recipients who must register for one credit to meet fellowship eligibility requirements.

Expectations

Graduate students will be required to fulfill their responsibilities to the satisfaction of their faculty mentor. Students should meet with their faculty mentor to create a list of specific objectives and duties prior to the beginning of the project. 

Available Awards

• Summer 2026
  • Number of fellowships available: 27 ($5,500 each)
  • Application deadline: 1/22/26

Shared Research Proposals

Below, you will find successful research proposals shared with permission by Department of Psychology graduate students to assist other students with their own fellowship applications. These materials are for internal educational use only. Please do not distribute. 

Note: The files may not be accessible to all users. An accessible version is available upon request. For assistance, contact Heidi Wolff ([email protected]).

• 2026 Proposals (UMN login required)

Eligibility

• Must be a currently enrolled psychology graduate student in good standing.
• Must be in their third, fourth, or fifth year of graduate training in the academic year when the application is submitted.
• Must be in the Counseling, I-O, PIB, or Social area of the department.
• Must be interested in pursuing a professional career outside of academia, in industry, consulting, government, or non-profit sectors.
• Prior recipients are eligible (2 x limit), but preference will be given to students who have not previously received the fellowship. 

Terms

• May not concurrently hold a paid summer appointment at the University of Minnesota while receiving the fellowship - including a teaching or research appointment - or receive funding from another fellowship administered through the University of Minnesota (including NSF).
• May concurrently hold a paid summer appointment outside of the University of Minnesota while receiving the fellowship, and may receive funding from a fellowship not administered through the University of Minnesota.
• Recipients who are registered for credit in spring semester will receive their fellowship funds in late spring semester via student account.
• Recipients who are not registered for credit (e.g., registered for GRAD 999) in spring semester will receive their fellowship funds in mid-late summer via mailed check.
• Students who are receiving financial aid should contact One Stop Student Services prior to applying for this fellowship. If a student accepts any additional financial aid (including loans, fellowships, scholarships or grants), their current financial aid package may need to be adjusted. If aid will be negatively affected, students will have the option to request to receive their fellowship funds in mid-late summer via mailed check.

Available Awards

• Summer 2026
  • Number of fellowships awarded: 5 ($6,500 each)
  • Application deadline: 11/26/25