Call for Submissions: Student Paper Award

The Massachusetts Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology (MAPP), a nonprofit dedicated to
advancing psychoanalytic psychology through education and professional development, is
excited to announce the 2025 Student Paper Award. This award aims to recognize outstanding
scholarship in psychoanalysis by post-secondary students from any discipline and to provide
scaffolding to support ongoing professional development of the winner.

Contest details:

● Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students in an
accredited institution in any field of study. Predoctoral psychology interns are eligible.
Students must be members of MAPP, and membership is free of charge for students and
can be received here. Preference will be given to applicants without previous
psychoanalytic publications, though this is not a requirement.
● Topics: Submissions must focus on psychoanalysis, though they may be theoretical,
empirical, or clinical. Papers may explore psychoanalytic theory, clinical practice,
research, cultural applications, or interdisciplinary connections. Papers should cite Freud
at least once.

The winner receives:

● Prize: A financial prize of $500 will be given to the winner of the award.
● Presentation: A condition of receiving the award is that the winner must commit to
presenting their paper at an event sponsored by MAPP. This event offers the winner the
opportunity to give a professional presentation, further developing their growth. The date
of the presentation will be in February, 2026.
● Publication: We will provide academic mentorship to the winner to prepare the
manuscript for publication and facilitate its submission to the journal of Division 39 of
the American Psychological Association, Psychoanalytic Psychology. While we cannot
guarantee publication, Psychoanalytic Psychology will review the submission, consider
the manuscript for publication, and provide constructive feedback.

Submission Guidelines:

● Papers should be original, unpublished work with a single author. Use of generative AI in
creative aspects of the work is prohibited.
● Submissions must be no longer than 25 pages, including title page, abstract, manuscript
body, references, and tables/figures.
● All papers must follow the 7th edition of APA format.

● Submissions must be accompanied by a title page with the author’s name, institutional
affiliation, program of study, and contact information. A cover letter is also required in a
separate file or in the submission email.
● Submit your paper via email to admin@mappsych.org with the subject line: “Student
Paper Award Submission.”

Key Dates:

● Submission Deadline: October 1, 2025
● Announcement of the Winner: December 1, 2025
● Presentation: February, 2026 (date to be announced)

For questions or additional information, please contact us at admin@mappsych.org.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and celebrating your contributions to
psychoanalytic thought!

Terms and Conditions for Participation

1. Eligibility: Participants must be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students in a
post-secondary institution at the time of submission. Proof of enrollment may be
required.
2. Original Work: All submissions must be the participant’s original work and not
previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
3. Ethical Preparation: Any clinical material (e.g., case studies) must be amalgamated,
fictional, thoroughly disguised, or utilized with the informed consent of the patient/client.
Proof of consent may be requested in the latter case. For empirical research, include a
statement regarding the approval of an Institutional Review Board in the body of the
paper.
4. Authorship: Papers must have a single author. Group submissions are not permitted.
Participants are prohibited from using generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g.,
ChatGPT, Bard, DALL·E, or similar platforms) to generate or assist in writing any
portion of their submitted paper. All submissions must reflect the participant’s original
intellectual work. Any use of AI tools for idea generation, text production, or editing is
grounds for disqualification. Participants may, however, use AI tools for non-creative
tasks such as formatting references or verifying grammar. Evidence of AI involvement in
the creative or substantive aspects of the paper will result in disqualification.
5. Formatting: Submissions must be in English and adhere to the specified length and
requirements. Formatting should be according to the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association using the 7th edition.
6. Submission Process: Papers must be submitted electronically to admin@mappsych.org
by the stated deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.

7. Judging: Papers will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on originality, relevance,
quality of writing, and contribution to the field of psychoanalysis. Decisions of the
judging panel are final.
8. Prize: The $500 prize will be awarded to one winner. The organization reserves the right
not to award the prize if submissions do not meet minimum quality standards.
9. Permission: By submitting a paper, participants grant MAPP the right to publish the
paper or excerpts on its website or other media, with appropriate credit given to the
author. Any change in copyright status due to publication will supersede this.
10. Disqualification: Any evidence of plagiarism, violation of academic integrity, or failure
to adhere to these terms may result in disqualification.
11. Notification: The winner will be notified via email and announced on MAPP’s website
and our communication channels, including email lists and social media. If the winner
cannot be reached within 7 days, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to the runner-up.
12. General: MAPP reserves the right to modify these terms or cancel the contest at its
discretion.