American Academy of Forensic Psychology Dissertation Grants in Applied Law/Psychology

A committee of AAFP fellows reviews applications and grants will be awarded based on the following criteria:

  • Potential contribution of the dissertation to applied law-psychology
  • Methodological soundness/experimental design
  • Budgetary needs, review of applicant’s personal statement

Students in the process of developing a dissertation proposal and those collecting dissertation data as of April 14 are eligible for the grants for the coming year. To apply, students must submit electronic copies or a CD containing the following no later than April 14 (incomplete applications will not be considered):

  • A letter from the applicant detailing:
    • His/her interest and career goals in the area of law and psychology
    • The proposed dissertation and its time line
    • The dissertation budget, award amount requested, and how the award will be used
    • Current status of approval from the relevant committees and IRB (funds cannot be awarded until IRB approval is complete, if necessary)
  • A current CV
  • A letter (no longer than one page) from the applicant’s dissertation chair/supervisor offering his/her support of the applicant, noting that the dissertation proposal has been or is expected to be approved, and will be conducted as detailed in the applicant’s letter.

Submissions should be e-mailed (or postmarked if sending a CD) no later than April 14 and mailed to the president-elect of the Academy. Questions or inquiries regarding the award competition can be directed to the vice president as well.

AAFP 2026 Dissertation Award Winners

Teyah Gianetta
A three-paper dissertation investigating how mock jurors categorize race and ethnicity and its effects on verdict in hate crime cases
Monica K Miller, JD PhD
University of Nevada, Reno

Tiffany Shao
A Multi-Method Examination of Predictors of Public Perceptions of Police Use of Force
Dissertation mentors: Steffanie Guillermo, PhD and William Crano, PhD
Claremont Graduate University

Simone Grisamore
Risk Communication in Probation: How Labels Shape Perceptions of Risk and Decision Making
Dissertation mentor: David DeMatteo, JD, PhD ABPP (Forensic)
Drexel University

Maya Irvin-Vitela
Trusting the Process? Extending the Belief-Adjustment Model to Collaborative Expert Judgment in Forensic Psychology
Dissertation mentor: Tess M.S. Neal, PhD
Iowa State University

Madison Edge Almond
Evaluation of a Generalized Threat Assessment Framework
Kevin Douglas, LLB, PhD
Simon Fraser University