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Lynda Calkin Fellowship Award

The purpose of the Lynda Calkin Fellowship Award (LCFA) is to encourage and enhance graduate student research activities in the fields of psychology or social issues related to children and families. This program recognizes and supports outstanding students who are pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology or social issues offered at UT Dallas and are under the mentorship of one or more UT Dallas faculty members. The faculty mentor must agree to provide mentorship to the prospective Fellow before an application is accepted as complete.

Award Information

  • The maximum allowable budget for a LCFA grant is $500.
  • The duration of the LCFA grant award is 12 months.

Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025

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Eligibility Guidelines

  • Prospective Fellows must be enrolled in a doctoral degree program at UT Dallas specifically devoted to psychology or social issues.
  • Doctoral students currently receiving an assistantship (RA/TA) are eligible. This program is open to both domestic and international students.
  • Must have a projected graduation date on or after May 2026.
  • Must remain an active doctoral student in the faculty mentor’s laboratory for the entirety of the LCFA award.
  • A Fellow may submit only one LCFA grant proposal during each submission period.
  • Faculty mentors may only nominate 2 Fellows per submission period.

Allowable Expenses

  • Supplies, equipment, reagents, facility use and publication costs
  • Grad stipend and benefits
  • Travel, conference/workshop attendance, or conference/workshop hosting for team-building to support the proposal submission for external funding

Unallowable Expenses

  • Faculty salary and/or benefits (neither academic year nor summer support permitted)
  • Transfer of funds to institutions or individuals outside of UT Dallas
  • Administrative or secretarial support
  • Indirect costs

Required Submission Materials

Proposal documents should have 1-inch margins and use a 12-point font. Upload one combined document (preferably in PDF format and NOT a PDF portfolio):

  • Applicant Information. Name, doctoral program, current GPA, expected graduation date, mentor name.
    • Proposal. In 400 words or less describe the related research project and its potential impact for a general audience. Only the timeframe of the LCFA funding should be discussed. A maximum of 2 graphics, images, or table that reinforce the science are allowed. The bibliography does not count against the word limit.
    • Deliverable. In 200 words or less, specify whether a paper or presentation will emerge from the experience, including a timeline for the research project.
    • Mentor Name and Affiliation. Limited to one page, a letter of support from the faculty mentor discussing the students ability to successfully complete the project and commitment to provide mentorship. Upload the letter directly into the application or send as email to Emily Lacy. Letters must be received by the deadline.

Submission Assistance

  • The Fellow will be listed as the Principal Investigator in the application.
  • The faculty mentor will be added as an additional investigator with a role of ‘Faculty Sponsor’.
  • The Abstract text box should state ‘See Proposal’.
  • Only the requested documents should be uploaded. Additional information is not allowed. 

Application Review Process and Evaluation Criteria

LCFA applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of UT Dallas faculty and scientists. Awards will be announced following the completion of the reviews and funding will be available soon after.

Awardee Requirements

Upon award, you must submit the following information to the UT Dallas Office of Research and Innovation:

  • Within 1 month of project end: A one-page max progress report including research outcomes, other outcomes (manuscripts submitted/presented, conferences, etc).
  • Upon request: Provide a brief presentation at UT Dallas during a research symposium or other event to highlight the LCFA grant impact.

Other Terms and Conditions

  • Funds will not be released until all necessary compliance related approvals and/or training are acquired, such as IRB, IACUC, IBC, RCR and COI.
  • Funds expire and must be used within 12 months of award. No carryover of funds will be permitted. Any unused funds must be returned to the UT Dallas Office of Research and Innovation.
  • The LCFA award will terminate if the Fellow leaves UT Dallas for any reason or moves to a new laboratory, effective as of the last day at UT Dallas or in the laboratory.
  • Failure to comply with any of the Awardee Requirements will result in suspension of LCFA grant funding and becoming ineligible for future seed grant competitions from the UT Dallas Office of Research and Innovation.
  • The LCFA grant award must be acknowledged in any resulting publications, exhibitions, or events, including press releases, using the following language: “This project was funded (or partially funded) by The University of Texas at Dallas Office of Research and Innovation through the LCFA grant program.”

Contact Us

For further information please contact Emily Lacy.