AATA Awards & Grants

The American Art Therapy Association's Annual Conferencesprovides access to more than 150 Continuing Education Credit (CEC) opportunities! At the July, 2012 conference in Savannah, Ga. you will hear from outstanding keynote speakers and network with nearly 1,000 leaders in the field of art therapy.

Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association is an informative member benefit that attracts a worldwide audience of art therapists who want to stay current in the field. Members receive the journal and archived issues FREE as part of their member benefits.

If you are interested in contributing to the Journal by submitting Cover Artwork or an Article, members may click here.

2012 American Art Therapy Association Scholarships

(please click here for additional available grants)

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS - In order to apply for scholarship awards, applicants must be a member of the American Art Therapy Association. Awards are granted only to active *student members of the Association and those who have been accepted or are attending an American Art Therapy Association approved Graduate Art Therapy Program. Members, please click here for the application and financial aid form.

*One award (Pearlie Roberson Award) is open to both Student and Professional Member Applicants.

DEADLINE – May 1, 2012, is the deadline for applying (postmark or email) for all applications. Incomplete application packets and those postmarked or emailed after May 1, 2011 will not be considered.

DATE AWARDED - Scholarships are announced each year at the American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference. Recipients will be notified in June about the decision on their application.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD LEVELS – Scholarships range from $900 up to $2,000 depending on the annual budget.

IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE, ALL APPLICATION PACKETS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

One (1) Application form indicating which scholarship(s) applicant is applying. One application is sufficient for all scholarships for which student is applying. The application is located in the members only section of the website.

One (1) official academic transcript indicating most recent university enrollment (Transcripts must be sent to the Association directly from the respective University or by the applicant in an unopened, official University envelope that has been sealed by the University. Be sure that you allow sufficient time for the transcript request from your University. No exceptions to this policy will be permitted).

Two (2) academic or work-related signed letters of recommendation.

One (1) student financial information form. The form is located in the members only section of the website.

One essay, limited to two (2) double spaced typed pages that includes a brief biography and a statement of how you see your role in the future as an art therapist.

Documentation of acceptance or enrollment in an American Art Therapy Association approved art therapy program. This must be in the form of an acceptance letter or proof of enrollment in classes for the upcoming semester. (A list of approved programs may be found on the web site in the Career Center at http://www.arttherapy.org/aata-careercenter.html).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS (PLEASE READ):
The applicant is responsible for sending the student financial information form (PDF 32KB) to the appropriate institutions. The applicant is responsible for ensuring all documents (application, *transcripts, *letters of recommendation, *financial aid form, essay, and school acceptance/attendance documentation) are received by the Association by the deadline. If possible, all documents should be included in one application packet and sent to: American Art Therapy Association, 225 North Fairfax Street ■ Alexandria, VA 22314

Please do not bind, staple or include extraneous information with your application.

*Official transcripts must be requested by the applicant and may be sent to the applicant for inclusion in the consolidated Application Packet sent to the Association in an unopened official University envelope that has been sealed by the University, or may be sent directly to the American Art Therapy Association Office by the school. Letters of recommendation must be requested by the applicant, signed by the letter writer and may be sent to the applicant for inclusion in the consolidated Application Packet, or sent directly to the Association by the letter writer. Financial information forms must be requested by the applicant and may be sent to the applicant or the Association by the school. Transcripts, Recommendation Letters and the financial information form are the only documents that may be sent separately from the Application Packet. However, if possible, the applicant should collect all documents and send as noted above as one packet.

2012 PEARLIE ROBERSON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Pearlie Roberson was an African American artist and art therapy client. Through her art therapy work, she painted and sculpted powerful metaphors that explained how she felt about herself during certain periods of her life, her spiritual belief in Christianity, her kinship connection to her African heritage, and her feelings about the progression of her illness. As acknowledged by her art therapist, “Art-making profoundly affected Pearlie’s final months and days; it provided an avenue to her own strength that helped through dark hours of long nights. It gave her perspective and peace.”

The Pearlie Roberson Scholarship Award is specifically designed to provide financial support for a project, undertaken by a Student or Professional member of the American Art Therapy Association, which targets multicultural aspects and capacities of art therapy. The award is based on the merit of the project proposal, not financial need. May 1, 2012 is the deadline for applying for this award. Please visit the American Art Therapy Association website for detailed application directions and instructions.
Recipients of the award are encouraged to present the winning project at the American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference. In addition, Pearlie Roberson Scholarship Award Projects will be under consideration for placement in the Robert E. Ault Archives.

The Multicultural Committee extends an invitation to Students and Professional members to apply for the Pearlie Roberson Scholarship Award. The award honors Ms. Roberson’s request to “remember me” and supports efforts to “explore, express, connect…to enhance the multicultural aspects of the therapeutic experience.

2011 Scholarships Awarded
AATA Anniversary Scholarship Fund (1 award)
Available to a student with a current GPA of at least 3.25 who can demonstrate financial need and acceptance and or enrollment in an AATA approved graduate art therapy program.

2011 Recipient:
Jessica Lee Huynh, The George Washington University
Jessica Lee Huynh graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in May 2011 with the Psychology and Social Science double majors with a concentration in Community Mental Health and the Yoga Studies and Business Essentials double certifications. She was a member of the Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society and the College Honors Program, for which she conducted research and designed the graduation medallion, and had personal artworks showcased on campus. She has volunteered locally as an art and recreation therapy intern, and volunteered internationally in countries such as South Korea and Vietnam. She hopes to fuse holistic therapies such as art and yoga to aid in the healing process for populations such as the elderly, racial minorities, and children with Autism locally and internationally. She is extremely grateful to be receiving the AATA Anniversary Award and looking forward to attending the Art Therapy Graduate Program at the George Washington University in August 2011.

Myra Levick Scholarship Fund (1 award)
Available to a student with a current GPA of at least 3.00 who can demonstrate financial need and acceptance and or enrollment in an AATA approved art therapy program.

2011 Recipient:
Sarah Wilson, Pratt Institute
Sarah Wilson is currently entering her second year at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She previously received her bachelors at Arcadia University, at which she studied art and psychology. Arcadia University’s pre-art therapy program allowed Sarah’s interest in the subject to develop, and helped her gain insight through internships at the Anne Klein Forensic Facility in New Jersey, and the Community Arts Therapy Program in South Africa. Pratt Institute has continued to facilitate her growth as an art therapist through encouraging professors, hands-on courses, and supportive internships such as the Joan Fenichel Therapeutic Nursery in Brooklyn. Sarah would like to thank the American Art Therapy Association for awarding her this scholarship which will help her continue to follow her passion for art therapy.

Rawley Silver Award for Excellence (1 award)
Available to a student whose academic record or prior experience is deemed excellent (3.50) who can demonstrate financial need and acceptance and or enrollment in an AATA approved art therapy program. Where there is no financial need, a $100 honorarium will be granted.

2011 Recipient:
Rebecca Snyder, Eastern Virginia Medical School
Becca Snyder is starting her second year in the Art Therapy and Counseling program at Eastern Virginia Medical School after completing her undergraduate studies in art and psychology at Eastern Mennonite University. She is currently working on her thesis, studying the effect of art therapy with bereaved children in a camp setting. She has a passion for working with children and helping them to express their emotions in order to help them to gain coping skills that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. Becca is also very interested in research as a way to further the field of art therapy. In addition to thesis work, she has also worked within a domestic violence shelter helping women to gain confidence in themselves and find their personal identity as well as with adults in a long term psychiatric setting gaining life skills. Becca hopes to work with children with special needs in the academic setting in the future, giving them the step up they need to be successful in their academic and social lives.

Cay Drachnik Minorities Fund (1 award)
Specifically designed for the purchase of books, this fund is available to members of an ethnic minority group who can demonstrate financial need and acceptance and or enrollment in an AATA approved art therapy program.

2011 Recipient:
Juan Rodriguez, Seton Hill University
Juan Rodriguez is a 1st year art therapy graduate student at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Before graduate school he was a community education promoter in Peace Corps Guyana from 2008-2010. While in the Peace Corps he developed and implemented varies projects ranging from a remedial reading program focusing on letters and sounds, a 4 day youth camp based on life skills, HIV/AIDS, and Information Technology awareness, basics art therapy sessions and other art related activities, along with many other projects. He also has experience working with children and adults with developmental disabilities as a Direct Support Professional with The Family Resource Network of New Jersey. During his free time he enjoys watching anime, movies, listening to music, and of course drawing. He possesses a deep love and understanding of the power of art, and hopes to have a long career helping people in need.

Pearlie Roberson Award (1 award)
Specifically designed to provide financial support for a project, undertaken by a student or professional member of AATA that targets multicultural aspects and capacities of art therapy.

2011 Recipient:
Geri Hurlbut, MA, ATR-BC currently serves as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Art Therapy Program at Converse College. Interested in art therapy on an international level, she was offered a fellowship at l’Hopital Sainte Anne, Centre d’Etudes de l’Expression, Paris, France in 1999, and has coordinated art therapy service learning trips to Port au Price, Haiti. Past clinical experience includes art therapy with survivors of trauma, addictive disorders, and eating disorders. She has also worked in general psychiatric settings including The Meadows (Arizona), and Alvarado Parkway Institute and Aurora Behavioral Health (San Diego) and in private practice. She has taught and supervised graduate students at University of California-San Diego and in South Carolina, and presented at the World Psychiatric Organization (WPO), American Art Therapy Association (AATA), and the International Society of the Psychopathology of Expression (SIPE). Artistically, Geri works in watercolors, silk painting, acrylics and found object assemblages.

Student Scholarship to AATA Conference (3 awards)
Specifically designed to provide financial support to students so they can attend the annual AATA Conference. This fund is available to student members who can demonstrate financial need, acceptance and or enrollment in an AATA approved art therapy program and prior involvement in art as healing events.

2011 Recipients:
Arianna Ninneman, Marylhurst University
Arianna Ninneman is a second-year student of the Master’s in Art Therapy Counseling program at Marylhurst University in Marylhurst, Oregon. She received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Western Oregon University, with a focus in ceramics and printmaking. Arianna has over ten years of experience working with children in different capacities, and hopes to take this interest of child development into her career as an art therapist. She is currently working at an after –school program mentoring children, and supporting those with special needs. After graduation Arianna would like to work in schools, helping to enhance the educational and social experiences of children.

Sarah Rubben, Lesley University
Sarah Rubben is beginning her graduate art therapy program at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at Louisiana Tech University. Sarah discovered the healing effects of art at an early age, and is driven by her love of people. Among Sarah’s favorite creative outlets are mosaics, photography, sculpture, woodworking, and crafting. Sarah’s mission experiences and previous work with children have led her to pursue a career specializing in creative therapy for children and adolescents

Prasad Family Foundation-International Student Scholarship (2 awards)
Specifically designed to provide financial support for international students enrolled in an AATA Approved Graduate Program.

2011 Recipients:
Hyo Jeong Eun, The George Washington University
Hyo Jeong Eun, Korean, is a student in George Washington University Masters program in Art Therapy. She majored in Oriental painting in college and experienced how the art process is closely related to our minds from own artworks. This experience encouraged her to provide the healing power of art to the public. She will study how Eastern Oriental ideas and a Western psychoanalytic approach can be well combined to provide an ideal therapeutic environment for people, especially who have experienced trauma.

Danit Kenigsztein, Albertus Magnus
My Name is Danit Kenigsztein, I am an art therapy student at Albertus Magnus College, in CT. I served in the Israeli Defence Force, earned a Bsc in Biology in Israel, and completed with honors a Masters level program in Animals Assisted Therapy. As a beginning therapist, I discovered the importance of art in the therapeutic setting. After relocating to the United States I decided to peruse my quest for knowledge in art therapy. I have been interning with various Veteran populations, at the Connecticut VA. My main contribution is bringing art therapy to the hospice and palliative care ward. I introduced art therapy and have soared with the art, in a place where art therapy did not exist. I wish to continue to share the gift of art therapy and spread the “magic” of healing through art.

If you have questions, email the National Office at sbolouri@arttherapy.org

GLADYS AGELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH Criteria for Award:

1. The researcher must be a student member of the American Art Therapy Association, Inc.
2. An art therapist must be the principal investigator.
3. The study must be conducted in the area of applied art therapy research.
4. The research design must use a statistical measure.
5. The research must be student work completed within the past year. Restrictions:
1. The financial award is $250.00.
2. The research results will be made available to members of the American Art Therapy Association, Inc. The method of dissemination will be determined by the Association Research Committee.
3. The submission must adhere to APA publication guidelines.

Application Schedule:
1. The deadline for submission of papers to be considered for this award will be April 1 of the year following graduation (both May and December graduates may submit papers by April 1 of the following year).
2. The Research Committee will review submissions and determine the winner prior to the annual conference.
3. The name of the winner will be announced, and the award presented at the Awards Ceremony at the annual conference.
4. Please click here for the application.

AMERICAN ART THERAPY ASSOCIATION RESEARCH AWARD GUIDELINES

GUIDELINES FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH*
Thank you for your interest in the AATA Research Committee Award. To qualify for this award your research cannot be your thesis or dissertation; however it could be an extension or continuation of those works. We encourage applicants in two stages of research, namely in the midst of a project (in-progress), and at the conclusion of a project (completed). You are invited to consult with AATA’s A Guide to Conducting Art Therapy Research and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition.

Application Deadline: April 1
Maximum Award: $2000

Your proposal should address the following points:
1. Abstract – Please limit this to a 150 word or less comprehensive summary of the project. The abstract should describe:

The problem under investigation
The participants, specifying characteristics (age, sex, diagnosis, etc.)
The research method
The conclusions, implications, and applications.

2. Rationale – Present the specific problem under study and describe the research strategy. Please consider the following points in this section:

What is the need for the project?
What is/are the research questions to be answered and/or hypotheses to be tested by the project?
How do the hypotheses or research question(s) and the research design relate to the problem?
What are the delimitations and limitations of the study?
How does the project relate to previous work in art therapy and/or related fields?

(Write a brief review of the current literature.)

3. Methods

Describe in detail how the project is to be conducted or was conducted; include a plan of action, timelines for accomplishing the project, and so on.
Setting: describe the setting in which the study takes place.
Participants: describe inclusion and exclusion criteria, how participants were selected, recruitment procedures, and number of participants in the study, and rationale for this number.
Data Collection: what measurement tools and procedures were used to collect data? Were standardized instruments used or were instruments designed for this study? Please provide a short description of each instrument’s development, psychometric properties and appropriateness to the sample. Link data collection methods to hypotheses/research questions.
Data Analysis: describe how data analysis was conducted or what statistical treatment was applied. Stipulate minimum probability level required to support the hypothesis(es).
Describe the procedures in detail, including materials, special equipment or setting, protocol, etc.
Indicate how you obtained informed consent from your participants and attach a copy of your Consent Letter, Consent Form, and Artwork Release Form in the attachments section.

4. Results

Restate the hypothesis(es) or research question and present the data demonstrating whether it was or was not supported.
Use both tables and figures to illustrate results of statistical analysis and brief narrative explanations of results.

5. Discussion – Evaluate and interpret the results’ implications, especially in regard to your original hypothesis. Keep in mind these questions:

Discuss how the results relate to previous research on the topic.
Discuss the significance of the study and what contributions it makes to the field.
Discuss the limitations of the study.
Discuss implications for research and practice.
What conclusions and implications can be drawn from this project?

6. References – Include A.P.A. style bibliographic citations for all references utilized in your submission.

7. Attachments – Include a copy of the consent forms used in the study, approval letters from facilities where research was or is being conducted, and approval letters from Human Subjects Research Committee or IRB overseeing the project. Include copies of published and/or un-published standardized instruments used in the project along with permission from publisher or test author to utilize the instruments in the study. If permission to utilize participants’ artwork for education, research, and publications is not included in consent form used in study, include separate release forms for such use of artwork.

Please click here for the application

GUIDELINES FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH*

*These guidelines are for qualitative studies. For quantitative studies, see appropriate guidelines.

Thank you for your interest in the AATA Research Committee Award. To qualify for this award your research cannot be your thesis or dissertation; however it could be an extension or continuation of those works. We encourage applicants in two stages of research, namely in the midst of a project (in-progress), and at the conclusion of a project (completed). You are invited to consult with AATA’s A Guide to Conducting Art Therapy Research and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition.

Application Deadline: April 1
Maximum Award: $2000

Your proposal should address the following points:

1. Abstract – Please limit this to a 150 word or less comprehensive summary of the project. The abstract should describe:

The problem under investigation
The participants, specifying characteristics (age, sex, diagnosis, etc.)
The research method
The conclusions, implications, and applications.

2. Rationale – Present the specific problem under study and describe the research strategy. Please consider the following points in this section:

What is the need for the project?
What is/are the research questions to be answered and/or hypotheses to be tested by the project?
How do the hypotheses or research question(s) and the research design relate to the problem?
What are the delimitations and limitations of the study?
How does the project relate to previous work in art therapy and/or related fields?

(Write a brief review of the current literature.)

3. Methods

Describe in detail how the project is to be conducted or was conducted; include a plan of action, timelines for accomplishing the project, and so on.
Specify the research paradigm used and the role of the researcher.
Setting: describe the setting in which the study takes place.
Participants: describe inclusion and exclusion criteria, how participants were selected, recruitment procedures, and number of participants in the study, and rationale for this number.
Data Collection: what measurement tools and procedures were used to collect data? Describe the process used for interviews and other types of qualitative data collection. Link data collection methods to hypotheses/research questions.
Data Analysis: describe how data analysis was conducted. Describe all phases of the analysis.
Describe the procedures in detail, including materials, special equipment or setting, protocol, etc.
Describe procedures used to ensure validity and reliability.
Indicate how you obtained informed consent from your participants and attach a copy of your Consent Letter, Consent Form, and Artwork Release Form in the attachments section.

4. Results

Restate the research question(s) and discuss results in terms of codes and patterns that arose from the data, and the relationship between patterns and research questions.

5. Discussion – Evaluate and interpret the results’ implications, especially in regard to your original hypothesis. Keep in mind these questions:

Discuss how the results relate to previous research on the topic.
Discuss the significance of the study and what contributions it makes to the field.
Discuss the limitations of the study.
Discuss implications for research and practice.
What conclusions and implications can be drawn from this project?

Available Grants

The following grant opportunity postings were made on the Grants.gov Find Opportunities service:

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Research Dissemination and Implementation Grants (R18)
Modification 1
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=52075

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Partnerships for Development of Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Biodefense (R01)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134513

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Limited Competition: Planning Grants for Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) (P20)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134534

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
The NCI Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K22)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134574

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence for Parkinsons Disease Research (P50)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134593

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Research Dissemination and Implementation Grants (R18)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134613

DOI
Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Ozark Centers for Resource Studies
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134653

HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Public Health Conference Support Program
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=134673

National Funding Opportunities

Support for the Development of Public Green Spaces
Mental Health Initiatives Funded
Grants Encourage Outdoor Programs for Youth
Organizations Promoting LGBT Equality Supported

Regional Funding Opportunities

Grants Enhance Health Education and Literacy in Florida
Arts Organizations in Six States Funded

Federal Grant and Loan Programs

Investigations Measuring the Impact of Choice Neighborhoods Interventions Supported
Funds for Self-Sufficiency Initiatives Serving Ethnic Communities
Efforts Improving Career Pathways for Ex-Offenders Funded