The Department generally has been able to provide support for incoming students. Because of the demanding nature of the doctoral program, the Department does not permit students to hold jobs off campus unless they are directly related to the student's education and have been approved by the student's specialty area. Therefore, the need to arrange funding through the Department is essential. Fellowships, teaching and research assistantships are the most common kinds of financial support.
Teaching and Research Assistantships provide remission tuition of up to 10 credits. Teaching assistants have a 20 hour per week commitment. They generally assist a faculty member with undergraduate courses. Summer stipends are available for some students as well. Research assistantships carry the same stipend as teaching assistantships and require the same number of hours of work per week. The recipient of a research assistantship works under the supervision of a faculty member. Most research assistantships come from grant or contract funds awarded to faculty members in support of their research. Teaching and research assistants are also eligible for the same health insurance options as all other University employees. Insurance premiums are subsidized.
The University's location in the metropolitan Washington area affords many opportunities for relevant summer employment for students, whose specialty areas permit them to work off-campus during the summer.
Below is a brief summary of available resources for student fellowships and other awards. All students are strongly encouraged to apply for a predoctoral fellowship. The below list is not exhaustive and students should explore opportunities in other organizations related to their area of study. Please note that some fellowships limit the number of applications from a department or university and department deadlines are at least two weeks earlier to allow for reviewing and processing. In these cases, fellowship applications should be discussed with the Graduate Office. If you are not sure of the requirements of an application please consult with the Graduate Studies Office before initiating an application.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
The University of Maryland Graduate School fellowships are merit-based awards for current University of Maryland graduate students that enable the recipient to focus on graduate study, that do not have to be repaid, and that generally include both a stipend and tuition remission. Graduate School Fellowships differ from Graduate Assistantships, which carry an obligation to teach classes, to work on a research project, or to perform administrative tasks. https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards
Other Fellowship Opportunities, listed by the graduate school
University of Maryland graduate students may apply for external fellowships. Some available fellowship opportunities for which you may be eligible are listed below. Please read the guidelines associated for each award and follow the application instructions.
https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/fellowships-awards/external-opportunities
PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
National Institutes of Health
NIH provides Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) to predoctoral students in fields under the scientific purviews of NIH. This program will provide predoctoral training support for doctoral candidates who have successfully completed their comprehensive examinations or the equivalent by the time of award and will be performing dissertation research and training. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Fellowship awardees are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis. The current stipend level for NRSA awards is $20,772. For more information, please see http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.
National Science Foundation
The NSF conducts the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are at the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation. The Graduate Research Fellowship stipend currently is $30,000 for a 12-month tenure period, prorated monthly at $2,500 for shorter periods. The cost of education allowance currently is $10,500 per tenure year. For more information, please see http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201 or http://www.nsfgrfp.org/.
American Psychological Association
Minority Fellowship Program, Predoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MHSAS) Program. Funded by a grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the MFP has created the Predoctoral MHSAS fellowship to support the training of practitioners in behavioral health services and prevention. This fellowship program is designed for students in clinical, counseling and school psychology, and other psychology doctoral students whose training prepares them for careers in behavioral health services. Have a strong commitment to a career in ethnic minority behavioral health services or policy. It is not required for applicants to identify as ethnic minorities; however, African-Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are especially encouraged to apply at http://www.apa.org/pi/mfp/psychology/predoctoral/index.aspx.
American Psychological Foundation, Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Student Fellowship
The Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Fellowship program supports graduate research projects and scholarships in child psychology with a $25,000 fellowship. Support for one year only. Only one application accepted from any one institution in any given year. Tuition waiver/coverage from home institution. More information can be found at http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/koppitz.aspx.
Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships
For Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching, administered by National Research Council. In 2015, the Ford Fellowship program will award approximately 60 predoctoral fellowships. The predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/FordFellowships/PGA_047958
OTHER STUDENT AWARDS AND FUNDING
American Psychological Foundation, Various Graduate Student Awards and Grants http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/scholarships/index.aspx
Association for Psychological Science
Student Research Grant Competition ($300-$500)
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/members/grants-awards-and-symposia/student-grant-competition
Student Research Award ($250)
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/members/apssc/about/student-research-award
