Grawemeyer Award in Psychology
Sidebar
The Grawemeyer Award in Psychology is given for original and creative ideas: ideas that possess clarity, power and that substantially impact the field of psychology. These ideas help us understand one another and the world around us, and provide insights into the human mind.
The purpose of this annual award is to acknowledge and disseminate outstanding ideas in all areas of psychological science. The award is designed to recognize a specific idea, rather than a lifetime of accomplishment.
The Grawemeyer Award in Psychology is accompanied by a prize of no less than $100,000, which is presented in full during the awards ceremony.
Ideas eligible for nomination may have an individual author or authors. The award is designed to recognize a specific idea, rather than a lifetime of achievement. The competition does not limit the format in which the idea appears. Consistent with the intent of Charles Grawemeyer, the award is not given posthumously.
The University invites nominations from throughout the world by individuals, professional associations, university presidents and administrators, and publishers or editors of journals and books in psychology. If the nominator is a book publisher, the nomination letter should not simply repeat the material from the jacket of the book. In such cases, a detailed supplementary nomination letter is suggested that describes the specific idea being nominated and its impact on the field of psychology.
Self-nominations are not accepted. Current University of Louisville faculty, staff and students are not eligible. Graduates from the University of Louisville must wait at least five (5) years before they can be nominated.
To make a nomination, the nominator must submit the following:
- A one- or two-page letter in English identifying the specific idea being nominated, the author(s) of the idea, and why the idea merits the award.
- A current mailing address, telephone number, fax number and email address for the nominee(s).
Deadline for Nominations
To be considered for the 2027 award, the nomination letter must be received by February 22, 2026.
Send nominations by regular mail or email to:
Dr. Nicholaus Noles, Faculty Director
Grawemeyer Award in Psychology
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
317 Life Sciences Building
University of Louisville
Louisville KY 40292
USA
(502) 852-5955
Email: n.noles@louisville.edu
Supporting Materials for Review
Further supporting materials will be requested directly from the nominee(s). Nominees will be sent a nominee agreement explaining the award conditions.
Criteria for judging Nominations
Nominations will be judged on the basis of originality, creativity, scientific merit and breadth of impact on the discipline of Psychology.
The Review Process
The Grawemeyer Award Committee of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences will review the submissions and select 8 to 12 ideas for further consideration. These submissions will be forwarded to an External Review Panel with broad expertise in the field of psychology, who will select three submissions to be recommended to the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award Committee. This latter committee will recommend the award winner to the President of the University, who will forward the recommendation to the Board of Trustees of the University. The Board of Trustees will grant the award.
Awardee Requirements
The winner of the 2027 award will be announced publicly in December 2026. In addition to requirements specified on the nominee agreement, acceptance of the award requires personal delivery of a public address at the University of Louisville that conveys the importance of the winning idea. Winners must also participate for two to four days in community and campus events associated with the award ceremonies in March or April of the Award year.
For More Information Contact:
Dr. Nicholaus Noles, Faculty Director
(502) 852-5955
Email: n.noles@louisville.edu
The Grawemeyer Fund, housed at the University of Louisville, added psychology in 2001 to its distinguished list of awards categories. The University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology is given annually and is accompanied by a prize of not less than $100,000.
The Grawemeyer award recognizes outstanding ideas in all areas of the discipline of Psychology. Nominations are judged on the basis of originality, creativity, scientific merit, and breadth of impact on the field of Psychology.
Charles Grawemeyer, an industrialist, engineer and entrepreneur from Louisville, Ky., had a life-long passion for music, education and religious studies. Consequently, he chose to honor ideas in the arts, humanities and sciences. Rather than rewarding recent or lifetime personal achievements, Grawemeyer wanted to recognize single powerful ideas or creative works.
Important Dates
(Deadline has passed)