Psychology Mentorship Award

Nomination Guidelines • Spring 2026 

The goal of this award is to recognize graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within the Psychology community who have provided outstanding mentorship. In doing so, we hope to highlight the value that the Psychology department puts on thoughtful mentorship and the impact mentorship can have on individual growth and the department as a whole. 

Nominations are being accepted from March 23rd until April 17th  at 11:59 pm. 

The short nomination form -- 500 words or less -- can be completed using this nomination link.

Candidate(s) will receive a certificate and be awarded a $500 cash prize. 

 

We eagerly welcome nominations for impactful mentorship to undergraduates. Generally, mentorship is a relationship in which one person (the mentor) utilizes their expertise in a certain area to guide another (the mentee) towards accomplishing goals that are defined by the mentee’s own aspirations. The mentor should provide a safe space for the mentee to share their goals and to troubleshoot challenges that arise along the way to reaching those goals. Examples of mentorship that may exist within the department include but are not limited to: 

  • Research mentorship (including development of technical and/or communication skills) 

  • Academic mentorship (e.g., thoughtful teaching, teaching development for students, or concentration advising) 

 

Who can nominate? 

Nominations may be submitted by undergraduates (in any concentration) and/or faculty (in the Department of Psychology). We encourage co-nominations and strongly recommend that undergraduates work with (or at least notify) relevant faculty (the lab PI or course Instructor).

For co-nominations, you may either submit the form separately (with different nomination statements) or submit one co-written nomination statement. In either case, the nominee will be judged on the entirety of the supporting materials. 

 

Who can be nominated as a mentor? 

Nominees must be doctoral students (at any stage of their doctorate) or post-doctoral fellows in the Psychology Department, but nominating undergraduates can have any concentration.

A mentor could be…. 

  • a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow who advises and trains an undergraduate member of the lab

  • a section teaching fellow who thoughtfully offers insight into post-grad plans or finding undergraduate research opportunities or who does an exceptional job supporting learning in the classroom setting

     

The nomination statement should be 500 words or less 

It should explain how the nominee has demonstrated outstanding mentorship and positively benefited you and/or others in a mentee position. Please also describe the nature of the mentorship (academic or research). 

Criteria that will be used to judge the nomination statements include: 

  • One-on-one nature of mentoring relationship (nominee may have multiple mentees, but the impact should be individual)
  • Impact on mentee(s)
  • Whether the mentorship goes above and beyond the nominee’s job responsibilities 

We encourage you to provide specific examples wherever possible. 

We highly encourage you to nominate an influential mentor. We are excited about this opportunity to recognize the importance and value of mentorship in and out of the classroom.

 

Questions? Please email phelps@fas.harvard.edu.