The Psychology Department Scholarship Committee annually awards graduate scholarships and honorary awards to doctoral students based on academic excellence, merit, and other criteria. Only students who are currently enrolled in the doctoral program are eligible to apply. The availability and amount of each award is determined annually. (A minimum of $1,000 will be awarded for each graduate scholarship.)

***These awards require the recipient to abide by the graduate credit hours at the time of the award being received. For example, if you are enrolled in 9 credit hours at the time of applying, you still need to meet the 9 credit hour enrollment when it is awarded if it is a requirement of the award.

Eligibility

1. 1. Students must be a doctoral student in good standing in the Department of Psychology at the time of application.
   2. Students must be currently enrolled at UNT.
   3. Each scholarship (listed below) has its own set of eligibility criteria. Be sure you meet all of the requirements for each scholarship you apply for.
   4. Students awarded scholarships must sign the Scholarship Agreement and provide a thank you letter to the scholarship donor, as well as a short biography and narrative of accomplishments.

How to Apply

Complete the Application Cover Page (See below for each scholarship) and submit the form and other application materials to PSYC-grad@unt.edu.

Students may apply for up to three scholarships. If you have won a specific award in the past, then you are not eligible for that award.

Please note that the application package must include specific items based on the individual award. The required documents are listed below each award. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application for general department scholarships and awards open February 1st, 2026 to February 28th, 2026.

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Charlotte Friedersdorff-Boyd Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate Student*

Requirements:

1. 1. Must meet the minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the Department in effect at the time of the award.
   2. Maintain full-time enrollment at the University (unless you have fewer than twice the number of semester hours required to be full time remaining in your degree program.
   3. Enrolled as a full-time student in in the Department of Psychology's Doctoral program at UNT.
   4. Students do not apply for the scholarship portion alone. *This scholarship is provided in conjunction with the Outstanding Graduate Student award.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A statement (750 words max) describing your professional activities, including research, teaching, and service
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

*Previous applicants for this award have demonstrated superior acadmic achievement, demonstrated dedication to the department and profession of psychology, and have been selected on a broad array of professional activities, including research, teaching, and service.*

Anna Wright Memorial Scholarship*

Requirements:

1. 1. A Clinical Psychology doctoral student at UNT.
   2. Meet minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the Department of Psychology in effect at the time of any award.
   3. Maintain full-time enrollment at the University.
   4. Currently enrolled in practicum at the UNT Psychology Clinic.
   5. Maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A statement (750 words max) describing accomplishments in the clinical psychology program while at UNT
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

*Previous recipents have demonstrated a strong academic performance* 

Frank Collins Memorial Scholarship* 

Requirements:

1. 1. Meet the minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the Department of Psychology in effect at the time of any award.
   2. Maintain full-time enrollment at the university (unless you have fewer than twice the number of semester hours required to be full-time remaining in your degree program.
   3. Currently enrolled in good standing in one of the APA accredited programs. (Clinical, Clinical Health, Counseling).

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A career/research goals statement (750-1000 words)
  • A summary of your thesis/ dissertation project (500 words max)
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

*Previous recipients of this award typically have presented strong evidence of a research career trajectory, usually in preperation for a research career in acadamia*

Ernest H. Harrell Memorial Scholarship

Requirements:

1. 1. Show promise for a research/academic career.
   2. Have specific interest in the general area(s) of physiological, health, or neuropsychology stress.
   3. Must be an advanced graduate student in the Department of Psychology in at least their 3rd year of training.
   4. Have at least one publication or presentation at a national conference.
   5. Have research interests in the areas described above.
   6. Possess the minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the Psychology Department in effect at the time of any award.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A career/research goals statement (750 words max)
  • A copy of your publication/presentation
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

Rogers Academic Career Award in Clinical Psychology (RACA-CP) *Not to be awarded for the 2026 - 2027 academic year*

The goal of this award is to further strengthen the scholar's peer-reviewed research in order to be more competitive in pursuing his or her tenure-track academic career.

Requirements:

1. 1. A Clinical Psychology graduate student intending to pursue a tenure-track academic career.
   2. Be enrolled as at least a half-time doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University.
   3. Be first author or co-author on at least two (2) publications based on original empirical data
   4. Possess the minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the Psychology Department in effect at the time of any award.
   5. Have a minimum graduate-level grade point average in Psychology courses of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • Provide a 1-2 page design on how the Award will be used to fund an additional first-authored article
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • A letter of recommendation from the applicant's major professor
  • An application cover page per instructions

Rogers Excellence Award in Clinical Psychology (REA-CP) *May award more than one award for the 2026 - 2027 academic year*

The Rogers Excellence Award in Clinical Psychology (REA-CP) provides exceptional students from the UNT Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology with travel reimbursements to defray some travel expenses for applying to nationally accredited pre-doctoral internships.

Requirements:

• • First author of a psychology article (theoretical or empirical) written at UNT
  • Accepted or published in a paper-format psychology journal with an impact factor > 1.0
  • A copy of the published or online published first-authored article. Highlight in the copy where the sample was collected.​
  • A copy of the published or online published first-authored article. Highlight in the copy where the sample was collected.​
  • A copy from the journal's official website documenting the journal's impact factor.​
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)​
  • An application cover page per instructions​

Outstanding Dissertation Award ($1,000)

Requirements:

1. 1. Recognizes outstanding research accomplishments by graduate students before completion of their degree.
   2. The dissertation must be defended by the time of application.
   3. Must be nominated by your faculty advisor.
   4. A letter of reference from your faculty advisor, which also indicates that they are nominating you for this award.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A 500 word summary of your dissertation and the impact of the research
  • An electronic copy of your completed dissertation.
  • A letter of recommendation from a faculty member who can speak to your abilities.
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

Outstanding Thesis Award ($1,000)

Requirements:

1. 1. Recognizes outstanding research accomplishments by graduate students before completion of their degree.
   2. The thesis must be defended by the time of application.
   3. Must be nominated by your faculty advisor.
   4. A letter of reference from your faculty advisor, which also indicates that they are nominating you for this award.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A 500 word summary of your thesis and the impact of the research
  • An electronic copy of your completed thesis.
  • A letter of recommendation from a faculty member who can speak to your abilities.
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

Outstanding Scholarly Publication Award ($1,000)

Requirements:

1. 1. Recognizes and encourages scientific and scholarly publications by graduate students before completion of their degree.
   2. Must be first author of a published or accepted for publication manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal for this award.
   3. The article must have been published or accepted for publication in the previous calendar year (i.e. published or accepted between January 1 and December 31 of the year previous to application).

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A copy of the actual manuscript
  • The impact factor of the journal in which it was published
  • If the manuscript is in press but not yet published, provide a copy of the accepted draft and a letter from the editor indicating its acceptance.
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

$1,000 Advanced Scholar Award * (Ray W. Johnson Counseling Psychology Scholarship Fund)

Requirements:

• • Advanced doctoral students who show investment in scholarly activity to make timely progress toward completion of requirements for the Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.
  • 5th year [or beyond] standing in the doctoral counseling psychology program.
  • Successful and timely completion of the expected Ph.D. program requirements by the end of 4th year [documented by the program's annual progress reviews].
  • Evidence of scholarship activity beyond degree program requirements.
  • Not currently completing the internship requirement.
  • Not having completed the program's internship requirement.

Additional Application Requirements:

• • A letter to the ASA committee outlining planned/expected activities indicating progress toward completion of degree requirements for the year of the award
  • A timetable for completion of all degree requirements for graduation
  • A copy of unofficial transcript
  • A curriculum vitae (CV)
  • An application cover page per instructions

*This scholarship award is subject to availability of funding. May not be awarded every year.