The John Neasmith Dickinson Memorial Research Award in Psychology

John Neasmith Dickinson was an outstanding Richmond College student whose untimely death in 1976 was deeply felt by the entire University community. This memorial award was established by his family and friends to perpetuate the spirit and enthusiasm for research which John showed during his undergraduate career at the University of Richmond.

Recognition

Each year there is the possibility of two awards providing a stipend of approximately $1,000 each. The winners may use the funds for such things as to support the research project, to acquire professional or academic computer software, or to support travel to a professional meeting, or to defray the expense of Graduate School applications/interviews. The winners will be recognized at commencement.

Application Requirements

1. The candidate must be a psychology major and have completed approximately 90 hours of academic work by the end of the junior year.
2. The candidate will submit to the Department of Psychology Chairperson a proposal for research to be accomplished during the senior year.
3. The candidate must have the endorsement of a Psychology Department faculty member who will supervise the proposed research project. The candidate may consult with a faculty member concerning the development of the problem and the appropriate methodology for the project. Although the faculty member is not to proofread the proposal, any consultation about writing should be included in your consultation statement described below.

Research Proposal Guidelines

The proposed research must be a data-based study with theoretical significance. The proposal must be typewritten and conform to the APA Style according to the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (e.g., 1-inch margins, double-space, not 1.5 spacing, 12 pt font, not 9, 10, or 11).

The proposal will contain six sections in the following order (sections 1-4 should not exceed 10 pages):

1. Title page: use student ID number in place of author name;
2. Abstract: use no more than 120 words;
3. Introduction: introduce the problem, review the literature, state the theoretical or practical significance and implications (and possible limitations);
4. Method: identify proposed method of study and plan of analysis;
5. References: include all references cited, following the APA reference style;
6. Statement of the extent of the student's consultation with the faculty sponsor.

Evaluation Criteria

The judges will assess the proposals according to these criteria: originality, quality of scientific reasoning, appropriateness of methodology, clarity of expression, adherence to APA style and format, overall quality of the proposal, sensitivity to ethical issues, and the feasibility of conducting the research at the University of Richmond.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting the proposal will be announced each spring. Submit the proposal in duplicate in a sealed envelope to the department administrative coordinator who will forward it to the chairperson. The sealed envelope should also contain a separate page with the candidate's name, student ID number and the title of their project.