Awards

The Al and Barbara Cain Living Memorial Award was established in honor of Dr. Albert and  Barbara Cain. Dr. Cain was the director of the Honors Program in Psychology at the University of Michigan from 1995 to 2002.  The award provides financial support to Psychology or Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience (BCN) majors who are writing an Honors thesis in one or more of the following areas: bereavement, loss, attachment, stress, and trauma. All applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Psychology Student Academic Affairs Committee.

Application materials should include the following: an electronic application including the applicant’s thesis research proposal, a one page letter with description of how the project relates to Dr. Cain's work or research interests, a proposed budget detailing how you would use the funds, and a recommendation letter from the applicant’s Psychology faculty research mentor.

Eligibility: Current Psychology Department majors in the Psychology Honors Program, who are writing an Honors thesis in one or more of the following areas: bereavement, loss, attachment, stress, and trauma. Preference will be given to students with high potential contribution to the fields of bereavement, attachment and loss, or trauma psychology. The rigor of the proposed research model, quality of writing of the proposal, promise of the applicant for making significant contributions to the field of psychology in the future, and depth of analysis regarding implications for intervention, will also be considered.

Award Amount: Award amounts may vary but we expect to provide 1-2 awards annually around $1,000 each.

Deadline: November 12, 2026

Apply for the Al and Barbara Cain Living Memorial Award

The Martha Muenzer Memorial Award in Psychology was established by the parents of Martha Muenzer, who died while she was a student in LS&A. The award is given annually to two outstanding juniors in (or applying to) the Psychology Honors Program.

Award criteria have not been specified in detail by the sponsor, but include overall academic achievement, breadth and depth of interests, and the extent to which the award might have a beneficial influence on the recipient.

Application materials should include the following: an electronic application including a personal statement (two pages or less covering the applicants skills, interests, aspirations, and any other information considered relevant); a resume; unofficial transcripts; proposed budget detailing how you would use the funds; two letters of recommendation (at least one from your future thesis mentor, a Department of Psychology Faculty member); and a letter that the applicant (as the award recipient) might write to the Muenzer family (introducing themself and mentioning their activities, honors project and the way in which the award money will be used). All applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Psychology Student Academic Affairs Committee.

Eligibility: Outstanding juniors in (or applying to) the Psychology Honors Program. Award criteria include overall academic achievement, breadth and depth of interests, and the extent to which the award might have a beneficial influence on the recipient.

Award amount: Approximately 2 awards of $3,000

Deadline:  February 1, 2027

Apply for the Martha Muenzer Memorial Award

The Psych/BCN Undergraduate Summer Research Award is a competitive award intended to provide financial support to students conducting research over the summer, including covering research expenses and providing stipends for living expenses. Not every applicant will receive an award. 

Applicants are required to submit the application form by the deadline. A Research Statement is required. This should be at least 2 paragraphs, and no more than 1 page, single spaced. The statement must include a description of the research project including goals and how the research will be conducted; the student’s individual role in the lab (i.e. duties and expectations); and a description of how participating in this research will further the student’s academic/career goals. A formal budget is not required, but applicants should describe how receiving these funds will impact their ability to conduct this research. Upon submitting the application, it will be routed to the student’s faculty mentor to provide their approval and brief comments on the applicant’s summer research plans, in lieu of providing a letter of recommendation.

Eligibility: Psych and BCN majors of any year, at any phase in their research, are encouraged to apply. Applicants must already have a research lab secured to work in during the summer. The research lab does not have to be affiliated with the Psych dept. Financial need is not a determining factor in issuing this award.

Award amount: Awards will range from $1-3k depending on the applicant’s time commitment to the lab (i.e. applicants working 20 hrs/wk would be eligible for more funding than applicants working 10 hrs/wk). 

Deadline: Future deadlines TBD

The Tanner Memorial Award is an annual prize consisting of funds to facilitate the recipient’s research project. The award is designated for financial support of a particularly innovative, original, and meritorious research project conducted by an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology or Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience (BCN). Students with dual majors or an Individual Program major conducting research with significant emphasis upon psychological sciences are also eligible.

The award was created in memory of Wilson P. "Spike" Tanner. It was established by two of Dr. Tanner's graduate students, Dr. David Green and Dr. John Swets, and other students, friends, and family members. Dr. Tanner was associated with the University of Michigan beginning in 1949 when he entered as a graduate student in psychology. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Dr. Tanner rose to international prominence as a co-author of Signal Detection Theory. He was also known for his interest in social issues and encouragement of young people.

Application materials should include the following: an electronic application including a research proposal (describe your research project, hypotheses, and how your research is original and meritorious including the specific nature of your participation and the anticipated form of the project report) with the project's budget and timeline; two letters of recommendation, and a copy of the student’s unofficial transcripts are required. All applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Psychology Student Academic Affairs Committee. More than one recipient may be chosen.

Eligibility: Current Psychology Department majors who are working on a particularly innovative, original, and meritorious research project. Students with dual majors or in the Individualized Major Program conducting research with significant emphasis upon psychological sciences are also eligible.

Award Amount: Approximately $1500

Deadline: February 1, 2027

Apply for the Tanner Memorial Award