APA Foundation

APA Awards recognize psychiatrists and other mental health advocates for their contributions to the APA and the field of psychiatry, for career recognition, lifetime service, outstanding research, and other categories that improve the lives of people with mental illness.

APA Foundation Awards

To honor those that advance mental health, our Awards recognize exceptional psychiatric achievements, champion learning opportunities for medical students, encourage early career psychiatrists and promote diversity in the field.

Administrative Psychiatry Award Honors as a role model an APA member and administrator of a major mental health program that has expanded the knowledge of management of mental health service delivery systems. Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Recognizes outstanding career achievement in child and adolescent psychiatry. Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Prevention Recognizes a child and adolescent psychiatrist who has made significant contributions to the prevention of mental disorders in children and adolescents and influenced the general well-being of young people. Alexander Gralnick, M.D., Award for Research in Schizophrenia Acknowledges research achievements in the treatment of schizophrenia, emphasizing early diagnosis and treatment and psychosocial aspects of the disease process. Alexandra Symonds Award Recognizes a woman psychiatrist who has made significant contributions to promoting women's health and the advancement of women. APA Award for Research Recognizes a single distinguished contribution, a body of work, or a lifetime contribution that has had a significant impact on the field and/or altered the practice of psychiatry. APA/AACDP/Research Mentorship Award Honors an academic psychiatrist who has fostered the research of of a student, Resident-Fellow Member, or early career psychiatrist in a significant manner through direct mentorship or by the promotion of novel research-oriented training activities. Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health Presented by the APA Foundation – recognizes mental health professionals and/or groups for achievements in addressing disparities in mental health. Blanche F. Ittleson Award for Research in Child Psychiatry Recognizes a child psychiatrist or group of investigators for outstanding research pertaining to the mental health of children and adolescents. David A. Mrazek Award The David A. Mrazek Memorial Award recognizes an outstanding clinician in the field of pharmacogenomics. Frank J. Menolascino Award for Psychiatric Services for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities Recognizes an APA member who has made significant contributions to psychiatric services for persons with intellectual developmental disorders/developmental disabilities. George Tarjan Award Honors a physician who has made significant contributions to the enhancement of the integration of international medical graduates into American psychiatry. Hartford-Jeste Award for Future Leaders in Geriatric Psychiatry Honors noteworthy contributions enhancing the field of geriatric psychiatry. Health Services Research Award Honors an early career psychiatrist and a senior APA member for outstanding contributions to the field of psychiatric health services research. Isaac Ray Award Recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to forensic psychiatry or to the psychiatric aspects of jurisprudence. Jeanne Spurlock Minority Fellowship Achievement Award Acknowledges achievements of former fellows of the Minority Fellowships Program who have made (or are making) significant contributions to the profession and/or the minority community. John E. Fryer Award Honors an individual whose work has contributed to the improvement of mental health of sexual minority communities. Judd Marmor Award Honors an individual who has contributed to research advancing the biopsychosocial aspects of psychiatry. Kempf Fund Award for Research Development in Psychobiological Psychiatry Recognizes research on the psychobiological, psychological, and/or sociological causes and treatment for schizophrenia. An award goes to a senior researcher and to his/her mentee. Kun-Po Soo Award Recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions toward understanding the impact and importance of Asian cultural heritage in areas relevant to psychiatry. Lifers Berson Award Recognizes an APA Life Member or Life Fellow who has made a significant contribution to psychiatry. Manfred S. Guttmacher Award Recognizes an outstanding contribution to the literature of forensic psychiatry presented at any professional meeting or published in the previous year. Oskar Pfister Award Honors an outstanding contributor in the field of psychiatry and religion. Simon Bolivar Award Lecture Honors a prominent advocate for Hispanic mental health. Solomon Carter Fuller Award Honors a black citizen who has pioneered in an area that has significantly benefited the quality of life of black people.