September 2026 | Newsletter Updates
SPAGS Webinar | Call for Proposals | Grand Rounds | Grants | Assessment Throwdown | C/TA Student Grant | Community Events & News | Job Postings
SPAGS Presents- Preparing for the Match: What Internship Training Directors Look for in Applicants
September 10 | 6:30 pm–8:00 pm ET
Hear directly from panelists with experience on both sides of the process as they share insights on what makes an exceptional applicant, common application pitfalls, finding sites that align with your interests, and how to strategically prepare for the match.
Call for Convention Proposals
Multiple Deadlines
We're are now accepting all convention proposal formats for our 2027 SPA Convention. We encourage everyone to submit a proposal and help create an engaging experience for the entire SPA community. Please make sure to login using your SPA credentials first to submit your proposal properly.
Deadlines:
- Workshops: August 11
- Convention Programming (Symposium, Papers, Roundtable Discussions, Case Discussions, & Deep Dives): October 6
- Posters: November 8
Grand Rounds
Our FREE Grand Rounds webinar series for SPA members returns this September with a new lineup of expert-led presentations designed to meet the evolving educational and training needs of the personality assessment community.
Mark your calendars and stay tuned. Registration is open!
- October 7: The Detached Patient: Contrasting Dynamics of Schizoid and Avoidant Personality Styles
- November 4: Conducting Psychological Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations for Law Enforcement Officers
- December 2: Using the MMPI-3 in Presurgical Psychological Evaluations of Persons Seeking Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
SPA Grants
Deadline is October 14, 2026
SPA Grants provide funding to support innovative research that advances the science and practice of personality assessment. Whether you're conducting dissertation research or pursuing projects that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, SPA offers funding opportunities to help move your work forward.
Assessment Throwdown Live Competition
October 15 | 7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
The Assessment Throwdown is for doctoral trainees in clinical, counseling, or school psychology to show off their assessment skills and knowledge and receive feedback from assessment experts in a welcoming, nonjudgmental, and fun atmosphere!
Join this live event where the finalists will compete with one another to win the grand prize of $400, complimentary registration for the 2027 Convention in Long Beach, and a travel stipend of up to $500!
Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment Student Research Grant
Deadline is on October 31
This grant is designed to support graduate student research that advances the scientific understanding, clinical application, or utility of Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment models. We encourage submissions from students engaging in innovative research utilizing collaborative and therapeutic personality assessment paradigms.
Eligibility & Application Guidelines
Applicants must be current students in clinical, counseling, or school psychology (or a related field), and the proposed research must directly relate to Collaborative and/or Therapeutic Assessment. Detailed information, including application instructions, proposal requirements, guidelines, and application submission form, can be found here.
Community Events & News
Book Release
- Handbook of Multicultural Assessment by Dr. Lisa Suzuki and Dr. Radhika Krishnamurthy: This book overs the most current assessment information in a variety of psychological and educational domains, focusing specifically on multicultural and diverse populations, including recent immigrants and refugees. Click on the links to learn more and purchase from Wiley or Amazon.
Survey
- Survey: The goal of this study is to estimate associations between DSM-IV/5 personality disorders and PID-5 maladaptive trait domains and facets. The study has been preregistered on OSF, click here to complete the survey.
Other News
- Joint Letter: APA coordinated a letter that was sigened by many researchers, educators, and acadmics of the United States regarding the continued decline in public trust in scientists. A copy of the letter can be found here: https://unitedsciencealliance.org