This award is open to members of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) and is aimed at educational psychologists who have made an outstanding contribution to professional practice or who are currently engaged in making an unusually significant contribution to professional practice within the United Kingdom.

Nominations should take the form of a narrative (1000 words maximum) highlighting the candidate’s achievements and the grounds for proposing the candidate.

Guidance for nominations

You will need the following information:

Nominee(s)

1. Name
2. Title
3. Organisation/affiliation
4. BPS membership number

Nominator(s)

1. Name
2. Title
3. Organisation/affiliation
4. BPS membership number
5. Email address

Referee(s)

1. Name
2. Title
3. Organisation/affiliation
4. BPS membership number
5. Email address

You will also need to provide:

• The key achievements of the nominee (1000 words in narrative format)
• Supporting documentary evidence (if appropriate)

Assessment criteria

Whereas the formal criteria for the Award are limited to any `distinguished contribution to educational psychology’, it is intended that this criterion will be interpreted broadly and might include any of the following, by way of example.

1. Degree of difficulty overcome in achieving development within their field of expertise
2. Developing and implementing a model for other organisations to adopt
3. Development of an innovative and effective intervention
4. Impact on the development of a psychological service
5. Leadership of an initiative which has resulted in policy relating to education based on sound psychological principles
6. Originality
7. Overall evidence of achievement
8. Pioneering work with disadvantaged children

How to apply

Applications now closed for 2018.

Judging process

Nominations should be made using the online nomination form and should be submitted no later than the 1st of September in any given year.  

The Awards

The Award will confer commemorative certificate which will be presented to the recipient at the Annual Conference of the Division. The recipient will also deliver an address at the said Annual Conference.

Please email [email protected] quoting 'DECP Award' in the subject line if you have any queries.

Award for Outstanding Contributions to Educational and Child Psychology

The Division of Educational and Child Psychology, following consultation with its membership, has agreed to promote relevant, innovative and applied research in the field of educational psychology. 

Criteria

1. The applicant/s must be a full member of the DECP and must be a practising educational and child psychologist
2. The applicant should be able to demonstrate competencies in an area of applied research through the research proposal
3. The research area identified must clearly relate sound psychological theory to a significant aspect of applied practice.
4. The research proposal must demonstrate direct potential benefit to the members of the DECP in their work with schools, children and young people.
5. The research proposal must state explicitly the theoretical underpinnings of the work, the research questions and hypothesis under investigation and the methodology (including evaluation), with projected time-scale.

In addition to research proposals that stand in their own right, consideration will also be given to proposals where a pilot piece of research would be DECP sponsored but where there are indications of it leading to major research funding. Research that is a development of work undertaken as part of initial training would also be considered.

The application should provide an outline of research work that enhances the development of professional practice.

Total sponsorship is set initially at a maximum of £3,000 per annum and this will be spread across one or two projects. Final decisions about the allocation of funding will be taken in light of submissions received. 

Please note 

1. Money will be paid retrospectively on submission of receipts. Submissions for reimbursements must be made within 18 months.
2. References will be taken up after shortlisting.

A report must be submitted to the DECP at the end of the project within 2 years and which might be included in a professional journal such as Debate, Educational and Child Psychology, or other professional publication.  Any publication or conference presentation which arises out of this work should acknowledge the funding provided by the DECP.

Funding is not available for direct contribution to any course fees, or for corporate bids.

Aplications has closed for 2018.

Applications should be submitted to [email protected]