AP-LS Monthly E-News

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It was a busy year for the Nominations and Awards Committee! First, we welcomed new folks onto the Executive Committee at our APA Business Meeting. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Christian Meissner is now serving as our Incoming President, Dr. Lindsay Malloy is our new Secretary, Dr. Jessica Salerno is our new Member-At-Large, and Dr. Jennifer Groscup is our new APA Division Council Representative (although Council’s terms start in January). In addition, Dr. David DeMatteo will be joining the Executive Committee as the Incoming Editor in Chief of Law and Human Behavior starting in January. Congratulations and welcome to our new EC members! We look forward to your vision and leadership for our organization. Click HERE for the full update and to see introductions from each of our new EC Members.

The 2024 AP-LS Conference will be held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles, CA, March 21-23, 2024.

The conference submission portal is now open: https://ap-ls2024.exordo.com/

It will close on Monday, October 2, 2023 (11:59PM ET). Please note the extra requirements for those choosing to submit symposia (as they will provide CE opportunities for attending practitioners).  

Reviewers are invited for all content areas. Please sign up to be a reviewer using the submission portal when you submit your proposal, or, if you do not plan to submit a proposal, using this Google form: https://forms.gle/dNDx2AtUU5tcb3oG8

You can direct any conference-related queries to the Conference Co-Chairs, Cait Cavanagh and Samantha Zottola at conference@ap-ls.org.

Please visit the AP-LS webpage https://ap-ls.org/ for further conference-related news. 

The AP-LS Continuing Education (CE) Committee is accepting proposals for pre-conference workshops at the AP-LS Annual Conference. Workshops are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.  We are seeking workshop proposals for innovative and cutting-edge topics and will ask presenters to briefly describe how their proposed workshop promotes equity, inclusion, and justice in psychology and law.

Workshop presenters will receive an honorarium commensurate with the workshop length (i.e., half day or full day). Proposals are due by 11:59 PM PDT, September 12, 2023, and can be submitted here. Contact Lisa Kan at ce@ap-ls.org with any questions.

We look forward to receiving your pre-conference workshop proposals!

Attention psychology and law scholars! The American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) invites you to apply for the 2023 Dissertation Awards. 

📌 Eligibility: Open to students who complete dissertations involving basic or applied research in psychology and law.

🥇 Rewards: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place recognitions. Cash prizes. Presentation opportunities at AP-LS conference.

📅 Deadline: Submit by December 31, 2023.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.apadivisions.org/division-41/awards/dissertation

📧 Questions? Contact the Dissertation Award Committee Chair, Dr. Alicia Nijdam-Jones at alicia.nijdam-jones@umanitoba.ca.

The American Psychology-Law Society Committee on Early Career Professions fund annually several grants of up to $5,000. The purpose of the award is to support APLS members who are within 10 years of receiving their last degree to conduct research related to psychology and law.

Details about the purpose of the award, eligibility, and application instructions are available on the application portal.

The application portal will open for submissions on 15 September. The deadline is October 15th, 2023 at 11:59p PM PT. 

Please contact the ECP Committee at ecp@ap-ls.org with any questions. 

It is time for the Fall cycle of AP-LS Undergraduate Research Grants-in-Aid! Applications are due September 15, 2023, by 11:59pm. 

The Committee accepts proposals for small grants (maximum of $1,000) to support empirical undergraduate research that addresses psycholegal issues. Please note that documentation of active IRB approval is required at the time of proposal submission. See https://ap-ls.org/awards/grants/undgrantinaid for eligibility, guidelines, and how to apply. If you have additional questions, please contact Committee Chair Dr. Lauren Kois at lek8m@virginia.edu. 

The Committee will host a “Student Introduction to Successful Grant Writing” webinar via Zoom in early September. Stay tuned for registration info! 

Congratulations to Jason Cantone, Jennifer Cox, and Dustin Wygant for recently becoming Division 41 Fellows. Would you like to see your name here next year, if so, read on for information about how to become a Fellow or Distinguished Member of AP-LS.  

According to our bylaws, “Full Members nominated for Fellow in the Society must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. All candidates for Fellow must be endorsed by at least two Fellows of the Society. In addition, all candidates for Fellow must meet the requirements of the bylaws of the Association. Full Affiliates nominated for Distinguished Member in the Society must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. All candidates for Distinguished Member must be endorsed by at least two Fellows or Distinguished Members of the Society.” 

Members nominated for Fellow or Distinguished member status through AP-LS must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. The deadline for receipt of all application materials (nominee’s materials and endorsers’ materials) is December 1st, 2023. For Fellow status (unless you are already a Fellow in another division), apply through the APA Fellow portal (https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/fellows/apply). For Distinguished Member status and if you are already a Fellow in another APA division, email materials to ebrank2@unl.edu

For more information about criteria for becoming a Fellow, see this page:  https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/fellows/division-41.pdf

The AP-LS Book Award Committee invites nominations to recognize outstanding scholarship in psychology and law. This year we are accepting nominations for edited books published in 2021 and 2022.  The deadline for nominations is November 1st, 2023.  Nominations (including self-nominations) and e-versions of the book should be sent to the Chair of the Committee:  Elizabeth Foster, PhD eefoster@widener.edu. The award rotates annually between edited and authored books.

Contributed by: Ashley B. Batastini, PhD

This column features the recipient of the 2023 Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award giving sage advice about pulling people together and making sure all are seen, using a simple tool that is equal parts familiar and infamous—the meeting.

The Teaching in Psychology & Law Column is proudly presented by the AP-LS Teaching, Training and Careers (TTC) Committee. Anyone interested in applying for the Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award or other TTC awards can find more information at https://www.apadivisions.org/division-41/awards/teaching or by emailing ttc@ap-ls.org.

Read the full column HERE

The American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) invites research proposals for Research to Enhance the Impact and Diversification of Psychology & Law Research. The intent of this grant initiative is to advance a more interdisciplinary science that addresses understudied topics in psychology and law, as well as to broaden the discipline and amplify its practical impact. Proposed projects must investigate new or understudied topics in psychology and law, enhance the diversification of psychology and law research through novel theoretical or methodological approaches that are cross-disciplinary in nature, and/or promote the impact of research by considering novel populations or new problems or processes within the legal system. Collaboration with practitioners or policymakers is encouraged. Successful proposals are expected to involve projects with the potential to transform and impact the field by furthering novel lines of research inquiry and/or facilitating new cross-disciplinary collaborations. As part of the AP-LS initiative toward a more inclusive society, grant applications that specifically address disadvantaged groups or understudied topic areas in psychology and law will be given preference. This includes funding scholars from traditionally underprivileged backgrounds. Proposals may be submitted into one of two funding categories:

1.     Small/Seed proposals ($1,000-$5,000 for a 12-month research period)

2.     Large proposals ($15,000-$50,000 over a 12-18 month research period)

Funding should primarily support research activities and data collection efforts. Support for research assistants and necessary travel may be requested, but should not constitute the majority of the requested funds. No funds can be used to support the salary of the PI or co-PI. Funds for successful proposals will be awarded to the PI’s academic institution (via the institution’s Office of Sponsored Research or Foundation). No institutional indirect cost recovery will be permitted, and proposals submitted for consideration by this program must not be submitted for consideration by other grant programs (including AP-LS programs). Proposals submitted but not funded in previous funding cycles may be resubmitted, but all proposals will be evaluated as new proposals.

Researchers may submit a maximum of one proposal to the large grant mechanism and one proposal to the small grant mechanism. That is, researchers can be an author or co-author on a maximum of one proposal to each of the grant categories. Students may not be PIs on proposals, although they may be Co-PIs.

Pre-proposal submissions will open on October 4th. The submission deadline is October 15th, 2023. Selected pre-proposal submissions will be notified in November if they are selected to submit a full proposal. Full proposals will be due in mid-December.

The application portal and more information on applications can be found at https://ap-ls.org/awards/grants/impactgrant. Please email one or both of the co-chairs of the Research Committee, Megan Kienzle and Eyal Aharoni, with any questions: kienzlem@apsu.edu or eaharoni@gsu.edu

The AP-LS Research Committee is seeking applications from both faculty and undergraduate and graduate students to participate in its Research Mentoring Initiative. 

This initiative came out of Dr. Jen Groscup’s Presidential Pre-Conference Leadership Workshop in New Orleans in March of 2020. The goal of the initiative is to pair researchers with one or more students who would not otherwise have research opportunities due to their institution’s location, size, or research resources. To that end, this initiative seeks faculty mentors to spend time virtually with students at different institutions and help guide them through the research process. Ideally, faculty members would either have an existing project that students could participate in or be willing to work with a student to design a new research project. 

For this initiative, we anticipate the length of the mentoring relationship would be for one year with the possibility of extension should it be mutually agreed upon by both faculty and student. The benefits for both the student and mentor are below:

Students:

• Equip students with greater research skills/tools

• Provide students with a hands-on experience through direct work on research projects

• Provide students with an opportunity to complete research in an area of interest

• Connect students with researchers who they would otherwise not have access to (e.g., different schools, different countries, etc.)

• Provide students with general mentorship in the academic process as needed

Mentors:

• Provide researchers with assistance in research

• Provide researchers an opportunity to mentor early student researchers

• Provide researchers with service to Psychology and Law

• Contribute to increasing diversity of emerging psychology and law scholars from a variety of institutions

If you are a faculty member or undergraduate/graduate student interested in participating in this program, please fill out this form (https://forms.gle/soFkvvmVw1jMBW5t6) by September 29th, 2023. You may need to copy/paste the link or update your browser if the direct link doesn’t work.

For questions, please email one or both of the co-chairs of the AP-LS Research Committee, Megan Kienzle and Eyal Aharoni, with any questions: kienzlem@apsu.edu or eaharoni@gsu.edu

If you are an APA member, do not forget to vote in the APA President-Elect election.  Candidates are Margaret Bull Kovera, Eric Butter, Debra Kawahara, and Grant Rich. Please refer to the August AP-LS newsletter for their responses to questions from AP-LS. 

Make your voice heard! And if you have not received your ballot (check your email spam folder), you can email elections@apa.org to get a new one.  

Summer is an important time for policymakers, with large funding conversations and regulatory efforts picking up steam. The APA Advocacy Office has provided an update on its midyear efforts across APA/APA Services’ Advocacy Priorities, including opportunities to engage. Of interest to our members, criminal justice and policing is one of the priority advocacy areas. AP-LS’s liaison with APA for advocacy efforts is Dr. Lauren Kois (Lek8m@virginia.edu).  

The APA Amicus Curiae Expert Panel will be holding an informational meeting on September 6th, at 3PM EDT (on Zoom) in which we discuss the establishment of a program to conduct environmental scans to identify cases in which APA might weigh in with psychological science.  If you are interested in joining the conversation, please email Theresa McGregor at tmcgregor@apa.org.

Take a look at the latest research briefs for short summaries of the latest articles relevant to psychology-law. To read this column, please click here.  

The APA Council of Representatives (Council) met from August 1-3, 2023 during the APA Convention in Washington, D.C. Council is the policy-making body of APA. Your 2023 AP-LS Council Reps are Dr. Jason Cantone and Dr. Margaret Bull Kovera. The below presents highlights from the meeting. For more information, contact Margaret Bull Kovera at mkovera@jjay.cuny.edu. 

Among the items discussed, Council:  

• Passed continued recognition of forensic psychology as a specialty in professional psychology for seven more years

• Elected the new class of APA fellows. New AP-LS / APA Fellows are Dr. Jason Cantone and Dr. Jennifer Cox. Congratulations!  

• Called for the removal of mental health questions on applications to practice law. The resolution also called for law schools to support law students seeking appropriate mental health treatment and reduce the stigma associated with mental health. This item was written by Jason Cantone and Margaret Bull Kovera, among others, and is available at https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-mental-health-screening-practice-law.pdf.  

• Adopted an APA Policy Statement on Developmental Risks and Opportunities in Adolescent Employment, which includes a call for psychological research to inform and guide safe labor practices and reduce harm. Jason Cantone was a co-mover on this item, which is available here: https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-adolescent-employment.pdf. 

• Passed new Guidelines on Operational Psychology, which came from a task force that included AP-LS members

• Passed an APA Policy Statement on Equitable and Inclusive Student Admissions in Higher Education, available here: https://www.apa.org/about/policy/statement-equitable-inclusive-student-admissions.pdf.

• Passed new guidelines for the psychology major

• Accepted the APA task force report, Racism and Bias: Their Role in Maintaining Racial Disparities in PreK-12 Education

• Passed a series of internal governance items regarding simultaneous service, the number of candidates needed for APA President-Elect, the effectiveness of APA Council, and board/committee/group roles and responsibilities. APA members will be asked to vote to approve two bylaws changes related to these items.  

In addition, President Dr. Thema Bryant announced a presidential citation for the Committee on Women in Psychology and awarded the Raymond Fowler Award for Outstanding Contributions to APA to Dr. Sandra Shullman.

The American Psychology-Law Society invites proposals for new titles in its book series, which is now published by APA Books. We publish authored and edited volumes on current issues at the intersection of psychology and law. Books are typically a state of the science synthesis of a body of existing research with implications for practice and/or policy. Authors and editors should have a substantial and recent track record of publication and/or practice in psychology or law, and at least one should hold a doctorate in psychology or closely related behavioral science. If you have a proposal for a new book in the series or you would simply like more information, reach out to a member of the editorial team. We would be happy to tell you more.    

The editorial board members are:

For more information or if you wish to contact a member of the AP-LS Executive Committee, details can be found here. 

EDITOR

Meg Ternes
meg.ternes@smu.ca

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Taylor Petty

tepetty@usi.edu 

STUDENT ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jennifer McArthur

jennifer.mcarthur@dal.ca 

CONTENT EDITORS–RESEARCH BRIEFS

Kelly McWilliams
kmcwilliams@jjay.cuny.edu

Veronica Johnson
vjohnson@jjay.cuny.edu

CONTENT EDITOR–LEGAL UPDATE

Lori Hoetger
lhoetger@gmail.com

CONTENT EDITOR–TEACHING IN PSYCH & LAW

Casey LaDuke

ttc@ap-ls.org 

CONTENT EDITOR–CAREER CORNER

Kamar Tazi
aplsstudent@gmail.com 

CONTENT EDITOR–CLINICAL & FORENSIC PRACTICE

Danielle Rynczak
danielle.rynczak@umassmed.edu

AP-LS seeks to advance the science of psychology - law and the translation of psychology - law knowledge into practice. Our mission is to enhance the well-being, justice, and human rights though science and practice of psychology in legal contexts.

Archives of the newsletter are available at https://ap-ls.org/newsletter.

American Psychology-Law Society

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