The Graduate Student Scholarship recognizes achievement in a graduate career and is intended to assist doctoral students in the field of industrial and organizational psychology with the costs of carrying out their dissertation work.
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Eligibility
Each academic program may nominate no more than one student per year. If more than one student from a program wishes to apply for a scholarship, the program must perform an initial screening.
Nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Enrolled full time and in good standing in a doctoral program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology or a closely related field (e.g., organizational behavior) at a regionally accredited university or college. Eligibility is not limited to students in programs located in the U.S.
- Must be a Student of SIOP.
- Dissertation plan has been approved by the student's advisor. Individuals who have defended their dissertation are not eligible.
Past recipients or recipients of other SIOP sponsored scholarships are not eligible.
Evaluation Criteria
The proposed dissertation research will be evaluated with respect to the following criteria:
- Clearly expressed understanding of the field of inquiry
- Ability of the research design to provide meaningful answers to questions posed by the researcher
- Potential of the proposed study to make significant theoretical and application contributions to the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Size of Award
For the upcoming year, the following scholarships will be awarded.
- The highest ranked student will receive the Lee Hakel Graduate Student Scholarship: $3,500
- The second highest ranked student will receive the Mary L. Tenopyr Scholarship of $3,000
- Two additional $3,000 scholarships will be awarded
The award will be distributed to the student in a single payment and may be used for graduate school expenses (without additional restriction). The student will have two options regarding the award stipend: (a) to receive the stipend directly; or (b) to have the stipend placed in a “professional development” account at the recipient’s university, contingent upon the regulations and policies of the recipient’s university. The award recipient will be liable for any tax payments associated with the stipend.
Application Procedure
Applicants for Graduate Student Scholarships must submit:
- A nomination letter from the program chair/director or the department chair
- 12-page maximum* summary of the dissertation research, including an explanation of research design and other important aspects of the project
- Two-page maximum curriculum vitae including scientific publications and presentations
- A letter from the advisor indicating that the dissertation plan has been approved
All documentation must be submitted online by the applicant and must be either a Word document or a .pdf file.
*NOTE: Figures or tables may be included only if they can be incorporated into the twelve (12)-page limit. A list of references should be included with the summary; references will not be included in the 12-page maximum. Summaries should be double spaced, 12-point font, with 1” margins.
Administration of Award
The SIOP Awards chair will appoint a Graduate Student Scholarship Subcommittee consisting of at least four members who are not members of the SIOP Foundation Board. This subcommittee will be responsible for evaluating the eligibility of applicants, the quality of applications, and making recommendations to the SIOP Executive Board about award of the scholarship. The committee reserves the right to recommend that the scholarship be withheld if a suitable candidate does not apply.
Deliverable
One year after the scholarship is awarded, each recipient will be asked to provide the SIOP Foundation with a one-page report summarizing the research that was conducted under the auspices of the award. The report should be cosigned by the student’s advisor or dissertation chair.

Updated: March 21, 2023