* The award is discretionary and subject to funding availability.

Application Deadline: June 27, 2025

Program Description

The AACAP Educational Outreach Program (EOP) for Pediatric Residents, supported by AACAP’s Life Members Fund, provides the opportunity for two pediatric residents to receive a formal overview to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry, establish child and adolescent psychiatrists as mentors and experience the 2025 AACAP Annual Meeting, October 20-25, 2025. Participants will be exposed to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry and provided access to mentors and various networking opportunities. Participation in this program provides a reimbursable post-meeting award stipend of up to $1,200.

Program Benefits*

(NOTE: The availability of these benefits is contingent upon receipt of adequate funding.)

• A post-meeting payment of $1,200 to attend the 2025 AACAP Annual Meeting.
• Participation in various AACAP Annual Meeting events for residents, including a mentorship program, academic/networking sessions, an awards breakfast and focus groups.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be first, second, or third year residents of a Pediatric Residency Program (beginning July 2025 for first year residents and) at the time of AACAP's 2025 Annual Meeting.
• Participants must be enrolled in a Residency Review Committee (RRC)-approved US pediatric residency program or in their post-graduate year prior to the last two years at the time of the Annual Meeting.
• Participants must either be members of AACAP or have a membership application pending at the time of application.
• Participants must attend all Annual Meeting events specified by AACAP and are required to sign up as an Annual Meeting monitor.
• While past Educational Outreach Program recipients are eligible to apply, priority will be given to first-time applicants.

Application Process

• Use the online awards system to complete your application and to upload: 
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Personal statement articulating a compelling reason for wanting to attend the Annual Meeting;
  • In about 500 to 1000 words (preferably no more than one page), briefly share the origins of your interest in child and adolescent psychiatry, along with a clear description of why you wish to attend the Annual Meeting this year, and how it will be beneficial to your professional development and career goals. Please include how you plan to navigate the meeting; the program schedule, which will be available during the month of June, allows you to search programming via date, session type or committee sponsored sessions. If you are presenting, please provide a brief description of your role, title and program event type, including with whom you are presenting, if applicable. Additionally, if you have attended the meeting previously, indicate how this opportunity allows you to build on past experience. 
• Training Verification and Endorsement
  Your Residency Program Director must also upload a completed form indicating good standing from your training program, along with a letter of support; the applicant enters the program director contact information in the online application, and clicks the button to send a notification to the Program Director. [Note: If you are just starting your program in July 2025 and the program director of your residency program is not sufficiently familiar with your work to provide a recommendation, the PGY Program Director must still complete the verification form only. Have the program director or faculty for your medical school program complete a letter of support and email the document to training@aacap.org.]
  • The letter  should indicate how long the faculty member or mentor has known the applicant and in what capacity. In describing the candidate, it would be helpful for the letter to address the applicant’s training, qualifications, accomplishments, interest in the child and adolescent psychiatry specialty, motivation for this award, and the potential benefits of the candidate attending the Annual Meeting, as appropriate.
• Please see complete detailed instructions on the online awards system by clicking on the application portal button below.

Selection Process

Administrative Review - Applications will be vetted for completeness. The candidate must be eligible and have submitted application materials in accordance with the requirements. Incomplete applications will not be assigned for further review.

Selection Committee - Completed applications will undergo a review process by selection committee, which consists of AACAP’s Triple Board and Post Pediatric Portal Programs Committee member volunteers. The panel will read applications and rate the following:

• Significance of the statement of interest and justification for wanting to attend the annual meeting.
  
  
• Candidate’s accomplishments as shared in their CV.
  
  
• Letter of Recommendation in support of the candidate’s selection for the meeting, including key information on how the candidate has performed in their training program(s) and future potential. 

The number of application submissions and limited funding makes the selection highly competitive and limits the possibility of selecting more than one individual per institution. Overall, the selection is multifactorial taking into account the candidate's score as well as equity and geographic distribution [institutional, region, state]. 

The completed application and attachments must be submitted by June 27, 2025

For more information contact the AACAP Department of Research, Workforce and Grants at 202-587-9663, or training@aacap.org.

AACAP reserves the right to waive liabilities.