Student Diversity Travel Grant

Overview

The Association for Applied Sport Psychology's (AASP) Diversity Committee (DC) works to "ensure that AASP honors its commitment to diversity... [And] makes recommendations to AASP's Executive Board on strategies and directives that will create an inclusive community for all our members" (2013). In line with the DC's purpose, it is committed to developing and supporting initiatives that focus on increasing multicultural diversity amongst the AASP membership.

While maintaining a diverse membership is a challenge for many organizations, AASP is no exception as the field of sport and exercise psychology (SEP) is still an evolving subspecialty within the academic disciplines of psychology, sport, and exercise science. Including the voices of emerging diverse scholars will enrich the scholarly and applied practices of the discipline.

The purpose of the AASP Student Diversity Travel Grant is to provide diverse students with a developing interest in SEP, who have not previously attended an annual AASP conference, the opportunity to:

attend the conference in October,
learn more about the field of SEP, and
develop professional connections within AASP as well as the field of SEP.

Requirements

Eligible applicants must identify as a racial and/or ethnic minority or a traditionally marginalized communities (e.g., LGBTQ+, race, ethnicity, class, gender, ability, and religion) currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (and will be enrolled at the time of the next annual conference).
Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
Must be currently enrolled full time in a Psychology, Kinesiology, Exercise Science, or Sports Science program or a closely related major.
Applicants must be first-time student attendees at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Annual Conference.

Application Materials

Letter of interest that addresses applicant's interest in sport and exercise psychology, the importance of addressing diversity in sport and exercise psychology, and goals for attending the conference.
Official transcripts sent directly from the institution.
Resume or curriculum vitae.
Professional letter of recommendation from a professor, professional mentor, or advisor who can attest to the student's academic abilities, educational goals, and professional interests.

Award

The recipients of the AASP Student Diversity Conference Grant will be provided:

a paid AASP 2025 Annual Conference registration; and
an AASP Student Membership for the 2025 and 2026 calendar years.

Deadline for Application

August 5, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. (ET)

Application Submission Procedure

Application materials should be emailed to the AASP Diversity Committee Chair by 5 p.m. (ET) on August 5, 2025 in one PDF file:

Hannah Bennett, PhD
Chair, AASP Diversity Committee
hrbennett4@gmail.com

Only completed application materials sent by the specified date and time will be reviewed by the grant committee.

2024 Grant Recipients:

Keith Colder, Tri-City Mental Health Services
Sam Dardaman, University of North Texas
Carlos Cortes Dequidt, University of Denver
Gabrielle Lusk, University of North Texas
Tea Medley, North Carolina Central University
Jasmine Newsome, University of Georgia
Lauren Pierre, California State University, Long Beach
Mikaili Robertson, University of North Texas
Sydney Washington, California State University, Long Beach

2023 Grant Recipients:

Brittany Barnes, Univsersity of Denver
Chanel Bradford, University of Wisconsin- Green Bay
Ahavah Davis, Florida State University
Kayla Ford, Univsersity of North Texas
Sydni Greaves, Florida International University
Miana Graves, University of Texas
Kellen Hill, University of South Alabama
Yeongjun Seo, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Ryan Whitlow, Chatham University

2022 Grant Recipients:

Kira Borum, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Chelsea Davis, Ball State University
Srujana Gummalla, University of Denver
Alessia McIntosh, University of Western States
Charlotte Mohn, Ball State University
Khushbu Patel, Ball State University
Matthew Scott, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Cyre Virgo, University of North Texas at Dallas

2021 Grant Recipients:

Kelli McGuffin, John F. Kennedy University
Keith McShan, Wayne State University

2020 Grant Recipients:

Beny Collins, John F. Kennedy University
Sloan Johnson, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Giscard Petion, Georgia State University
Tatiana Zhuraleva, New Mexico State University

2019 Grant Recipients:

Eduardo Castillo, Adler University
Jessica David, Indiana University
Randi Gray, University of Kansas
Jackie Hyman, Indiana University
Sonia Johnson, Boston University
AJ Newton, University of Connecticut
Jessica Renteria, Texas Christian University
Alexandra Rodriguez, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Majidullah Shaikh, University of Ottawa

2018 Grant Recipients:

Chelsea Battle, Auburn University
Chris Diaz, Drexel University
Reisha Hull, London South Bank University
Victor Kidd, University of South Carolina
Jahmia Phillips, Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus
Kyle Prescott, Temple University
Farhan Shaikh, West Virginia University