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Scholarships

Marshall P. Smith/Nancy Schacht Breland Family Fund Scholarship- 2024 applications are due March 13, 2024. (Expand title to access application links.)

Applications are now open.

Dr. Marshall Smith organized a group of professors into the department of Psychology in 1957, when TCNJ was called Trenton State Teachers College. He was the first chair of this new department, and he held the position until 1971, when he returned to the classroom. Mike, as he was affectionately known, inspired many students and colleagues. After Dr. Smith died suddenly in 1978, his family and friends began a scholarship fund in his memory.

In 2008, the funding of the Marshall P. Smith Scholarship was changed, with the creation of the Nancy Schacht Breland Family Fund. This fund now endows the Smith Scholarship, which means that this scholarship can continue to make significant awards to outstanding psychology students forever. Dr. Nancy Schacht Breland was a professor in the Psychology Department for 34 years, and chairperson of the department for 6 years. Dr. Marshall Smith was one of her early and much admired mentors. Dr. Breland has made many substantial donations to the Smith Scholarship over the years in memory of her late father, her late aunt, and her late husband. Dr. Breland’s family depended on scholarships to help pay for their higher educations. She hopes that her gifts in their memories will help outstanding TCNJ students to pay for their educations, and their dreams, and that they will work to make the world a better place.

Each year this scholarship is awarded to a psychology major who has demonstrated academic excellence, commitment to psychology, and involvement in campus and community activities.

Laurie Ann Mandara Scholarship- 2024 applications are due March 13, 2024

Applications are now open.

Laurie Ann Mandara was a Psychology major who died from cancer in September 2006; she was awarded her bachelors degree posthumously in May 2007. Laurie persevered with her education throughout her illness and treatment, and demonstrated extraordinary courage and persistence in the face of obstacles. Everyone who met her was impressed with her dedication to her studies, her optimism, her resilience, and her generous spirit. Laurie was a loving, giving, and selfless person. She was very close to her family and friends, and had a strong religious faith. She loved learning and had an enthusiastic passion for life. Her friends would say she could turn ordinary activities into extraordinary ones, and that she taught them to appreciate every day.

Laurie was a member of Psi Chi, was on the Dean’s List, and was an active member of the Student Government Association. She also completed the 2004 Boston Marathon. Laurie loved nature and music, and she highly valued community service and service to others; she participated in many such activities on and off campus.

Laurie’s memory lives on in the hearts of those who knew her and in the Laurie Ann Mandara ’07 Scholarship. The scholarship was begun by Laurie’s family, and they along with Laurie’s friends have contributed generously over the years. In addition, the 2007 Senior Class donated their financial gift to the Psychology Department in memory of Laurie and when the Psychology Department won the Mildred Dahne Award for departmental excellence in 2008, the entire monetary award went to the Laurie Ann Mandara Scholarship fund. By supporting students whose values and involvements are similar to Laurie’s, the scholarship honors Laurie’s memory.

The Laurie Ann Mandara ’07 Scholarship is given each year to a psychology major who has demonstrated academic excellence and who has either demonstrated a commitment to community service or has overcome compelling personal obstacles.

The Noelle Skrobola Outstanding Research Scholar Award– Application closed.

The Noelle Skrobola Outstanding Research Scholar Award is presented each Fall to recognize students who have demonstrated continued involvement in research at multiple stages, and who demonstrate promise for scholarly research in psychology after graduation.

For many years, this award, although an honor, was unfunded. Beginning in 2019, Noelle’s parents began a scholarship fund for this award to honor Noelle’s memory after she passed away unexpectedly in 2018.Noelle received the Outstanding Research Scholar Award in 2015 for her work with Jessica Barnack-Tavlaris, who described Noelle as “a critical thinker, intellectually curious, compassionate, open-minded, insightful, and more.” Noelle was involved in research every semester starting her freshman year at TCNJ, and completed a mentored summer research experience in 2015. She co-authored multiple conference presentations in 2 different research labs, and received a research grant from Psi Chi for her Senior Honors Thesis. In addition to her research and academic excellence, Noelle was a dedicated mental health advocate in various capacities. For example, Noelle co-founded and served as President of TCNJ’s chapter of Active Minds, which is an organization that helps reduce mental health stigma. She was also very involved in the Psychology Club and the TCNJ Wellness League. After graduating from TCNJ in 2016, Noelle completed the Teach & Learn in Spain Master’s Program at Instituto Franklin in Madrid, Spain, where she continued to leave a lasting impact on the lives of many.

In addition to their generous contributions, her father and step-mother, Mark and Deidre, have written a children’s book series called A Whisper from Noelle, with proceeds funding this scholarship as well. The books are about embracing feelings and sharing those feelings with the people we love.

CUR Psychology Student Travel Awards

TCNJ is an institutional member of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Students are encouraged to apply for CUR’s Psychology Student Travel Awards for assistance in attending regional or national discipline-specific meetings.

Psi Chi Scholarships/Grants

Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology

A major benefit of joining Psi Chi is the lifelong scholarship opportunities that are available to undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members. Click here for more information about TCNJ’s chapter of Psi Chi and information about how to join.

Psi Chi Undergraduate Awards/Scholarships

Name of Award Purpose Amount of Award and Due Date
APS Convention Society Research Awards To recognize the best research posters presented by undergraduate and graduate Psi Chi students at the APS Annual Convention. Amount: $400

Due Date: Feb 1

Diversity Article Awards To recognize, promote, and award the best diversity related articles published in the most recently released volumes of Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research and Eye on Psi Chi. Amount: $600

Due date: Open

APA Society Convention Research Awards To recognize the best research posters presented by undergraduate and graduate Psi Chi students at the APA Annual Convention. Amount: $400

Due date: April 15

Regional Research Award To award Psi Chi student members who submit the most outstanding abstracts at EPA, MPA, RMPA, SEPA, SWPA, and WPA. Amount: $400

Due date: Varies

Psi Chi Undergraduate Scholarship The Psi Chi Undergraduate Scholarships help defray the direct educational costs (e.g., tuition, institutional fees, required textbooks) of exceptional Psi Chi undergraduate students. Amount: $3,000

Due date: June 26

APAGS/Psi Chi Junior Scientist Fellowship

For graduating seniors only

This fellowship intends to provide funding for rising first-year or second-year graduate level projects and to provide constructive feedback to select applicants in order to increase their chances of achieving success on future National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship applications. Amount: $1,000

Due date: July 15

Psi Chi Undergraduate Grants

Name of Grant  Purpose Amount of Grant and Due Date
Undergraduate Research Grants By providing funds for undergraduate Psi Chi student members who will serve as first author and project director, the Undergraduate Research Grants help to defray direct costs (barring stipends, salary, tuition, research assistants, etc.) of the student’s original, empirical, research project as well as introduce students to the process of applying and managing research grants Amount: Up to $3,500

Due date (Fall): Oct 15

Due date (Spring): Jan 15

Due date (Summer): May 1

Unrestricted Travel Grant The travel costs offset by the Unrestricted Travel Grants helps Psi Chi-involved students, recent graduates, and doctorate-holding members with otherwise limited available funding benefit from the experience and opportunities obtained from presenting a paper or poster at a psychology-related convention (excluding EPA, MPA, RMPA, SEPA, SWPA, and WPA). Amount: Up to $1,500

Due date (Summer): May 5

Due date (Winter): Dec 5

Mamie Phipps Clark Research Grants This is dependent upon the number of worthy applications submitted to the Undergraduate Research Grants, Graduate Research Grants and the Faculty Advisor Research Grants that focus on diversity topics. Amount: Up to $3,500

Due date: Varies

Robert Cialdini / Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant for Field Research in Social Psychology To provide funds to Psi Chi members for undergraduate student research specifically for field research in social psychology. Field research is defined as social psychological investigations conducted in naturally-occurring settings in which research participants can expect to find themselves under normal life circumstances and in which they are unlikely to suppose that they are research participants. Amount: Up to $3,500

Due date: Varies

Regional Travel Grant The travel costs offset by the Regional Travel Grants helps active Psi Chi members with otherwise limited available funding benefit from the experience and opportunities obtained from attending EPA, MPA, RMPA, SEPA, SWPA, or WPA. Amount: Up to $400

Due date: Varies

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