The APA Scholar Program gives Resident-Fellow and Medical Student Members the chance to network with peers and meet and collaborate with top educators, practitioners, and researchers in psychiatry. APA Scholars attend educational sessions at the in-person Annual Meeting and complete reports on the sessions. The Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee in turn uses this valuable data to improve educational programming each year.
Space is limited, and session selections are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply today to be an APA Scholar at the in-person 2026 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, May 16-20.
Program Benefits
The first 100 Resident-Fellow or Medical Student Members*** to apply will receive free in-person only registration* for the 2026 Annual Meeting and up to three nights of lodging**.
Program Expectations
As an APA Scholar, you must attend and report on at least four assigned sessions at the in-person 2026 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, May 16-20.
Scholar report cards include details on:
- Number of attendees in the session
- Efficacy of the speakers
- Level of engagement between audience and speakers
- Quality of session content
Application Details
To apply:
- First, register for the in-person 2026 Annual Meeting here.
- Next, review the Applicable Terms and Conditions for registration and lodging benefit below.
- Then, apply for the APA Scholars Program and select your preferred sessions.
Award Notification
Accepted applicants will be notified of their PASS Program funding award and their confirmed session schedule by April 8, 2026.
Applicants must already be registered for the 2026 Annual Meeting to apply to be an APA Scholar. Meeting registration fees will be refunded by APA within thirty (30) days after Scholars have submitted their assigned session report cards. Session report cards must be received by May 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Session selections are final, and no session changes or substitutions will be allowed. If, in rare cases, a session you select is no longer available, a representative of the Office of Scientific Programs will contact you to select an alternate session. You must attend and report on every session you select in your application.
Contact
If you have any questions about the APA Scholar Program, please contact [email protected].
*Scholars' registration fees will be reimbursed by APA after the Scholar has submitted their four (4) session reports, due by 5:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, May 20. Hotel lodging will be paid for by through the APAF PASS Program.
**Room and tax only for up to three (3) nights at a hotel within the APA hotel block provided through the APA PASS Program.
​***Applicants must be active APA Resident-Fellow Members or Medical Student Members to qualify.
Terms and Conditions
Please consider and plan accordingly to accept this PASS Program travel grant thoughtfully. If you apply to receive the travel award and then later choose not to use it (thus preventing others from receiving a travel award), APAF in its discretion may determine that you will not be eligible for similar award opportunities in the future. By submitting an application for any of the PASS Program opportunities described on this page, you hereby agree to the following terms and conditions if your application is selected by APAF. APAF will provide funding for the selected applicant (“Recipient”) to receive up to three (3) nights lodging (room and tax only) at an identified hotel within the APA hotel block for the 2026 Annual Meeting. APAF shall not be responsible for any other expense, travel or otherwise, which may be incurred or be related to Recipient’s attendance at the 2026 APA Annual Meeting. Award recipients will receive instructions and must book housing at the identified hotel within the APA block. Regardless of the number of nights reserved by Recipient, APAF funding shall only be provided for up to three (3) nights and Recipient shall be responsible for any additional costs. Recipient shall participate in the 2026 APA Annual Meeting in compliance with all applicable rules and terms and conditions related thereto. Recipient is not an employee, representative or agent of APAF and APAF shall not have any liability for any act or omission of Recipient. Recipient shall be solely responsible for their own conduct and shall indemnify and hold harmless the APAF and APA for any liabilities that may result therefrom. Individuals are eligible to receive benefits through only one of the PASS Programs (i.e., a maximum of one registration and three nights lodging, even if the same individual participates in both the Ambassador Program and Resident Scholar Program). PASS program awards will be conferred on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to the number of applicants described above. Applications must be received by March 17, 2026; APAF reserves the right to close the application prior to March 17, 2026. If the maximum number of resident and/or medical student applications are received prior to then.