2027 Society Leadership Program Call for Applications

DUE 1 December 2026 First Review Cycle. DUE 7 January 2027 (If there are any available positions)

The Society Leadership Program (SLP) is designed to inspire and develop our future leaders in military
psychology. Participants will attend leadership training, receive mentoring, and complete a capstone leadership
project related to the Society for Military Psychology’s mission and current initiatives. Students in the program
will attend the Midyear Executive Committee (EXCOM) Meeting held in February or March (in person or via
teleconference), attend the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, be provided readings and
mentorship, with a focus on developing leadership potential in broadly defined diverse and global contexts.
Outcomes of the capstone leadership projects will be presented at the APA Annual Convention. We expect
graduates of SLP to make a commitment to future service on Society committees, as elected officers in the
Society, and as leaders and advocates in a variety of positions in APA, their places of employment, and society
at large.
We invite psychology doctoral students and Early Career Psychologists (ECP; 10 years or less since doctorate)
who are interested in and committed to leadership in the Society to apply for the SLP. By training a diverse
group of participants, the SLP will help develop the Society’s next generation of leaders and contribute to the
future of military psychology. By pairing future leaders with current Society leaders, the SLP hopes to create
opportunities for graduates to take the next steps toward leadership.
Components of the Society Leadership Program
1. Participants will take an online leadership assessment.
2. Participants should engage with their project and mentor NLT January and will receive feedback on their
leadership assessment by August.
3. Participate in approximately 19-20 sixty-ninety minute-long virtual lessons with faculty and peers.
4. Participants will develop leadership project proposals with their mentors for Society Leadership
Program Committee/EXCOM approval NLT 1 March.
5. Lead one hour-long journal session with faculty and peers on a journal article related to capstone
leadership project (May-June).
6. Design, conduct, and complete a capstone project that contributes to a current Society initiative (e.g.,
EXCOM, Committee, and Working Groups) with the help of a mentor. Participants should complete
the majority of the project by July for presentation at APA.
7. Participants and their mentors will meet regularly to review program readings and capstone project
status (February to July).
8. Observe the Society’s EXCOM and business meetings and participate in joint activities with EXCOM
members in person or via teleconference.
8. Participants will present capstone leadership project updates during the APA convention in (August).
9. Participate in Society leadership activities and events at the APA Convention.
10. Participants and mentors will finalize the capstone project. Participants may write a capstone
leadership project paper summary for publication in the Fall Newsletter. Mentors will provide
participants with leadership feedback and an action plan for their future with the Society.
11. In order to receive funding for the APA convention and graduate from the program, students must

complete course assignments and leader assessment requirements.
Learning Outcomes
The Society Leadership Program is designed to help participants:
● Understand the structure and function of leadership positions in the Society
● Assess one’s own leadership style using various perspectives
● Observe EXCOM meetings
● Observe and participate in leadership activities
● Conceptualize and implement a SLP capstone project to be completed and presented at the APA
convention
● Network and develop working relationships with Society leaders
● Identify a path to leadership within the Society and seek/obtain a leadership position
Criteria for Participation
The Society Leadership Program Committee is seeking a diverse group of students and ECPs who meet
the following criteria:

• Currently enrolled student in a psychology doctoral program or a psychologist who completed doctoral
degree within the last 10 years;
• A current, paid member of the Society as of the date of the application;
• Committed to making a professional impact through leadership in a diverse context (i.e. leadership
situated in understanding one’s own leadership abilities multiple interface in military psychology);
• Interested in pursuing leadership positions in the Society in the future;
• Available and able to attend:

o Ten hour-long virtual lessons (live or recorded)
o 1-day leadership Midyear EXCOM Meeting (February/March)
o Lead and participate in journal club presentations (live or recorded)
o Each participant will be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses up to $1,000 to the APA
Convention. Acceptable travel expenses include coach airfare, double hotel accommodations,
registration fees, and ground transportation congruent with APA travel policy;
• Committed to complete a leadership project to be presented at the APA Convention.
o Additional SLP training will take place in August in conjunction with the Annual EXCOM
Meeting and the APA Convention.

Application Procedures
To apply for the Society Leadership Program, please submit the following materials to,
lifewellbeing@gmail.com and slp@militarypsych.org NLT 1 December 2026. Your application should
include:
(1) A letter of interest that is no more than two pages single-spaced. In this letter, please provide
information about yourself and your professional identity as a psychologist or a student in the field of
psychology. Briefly discuss current/previous leadership experiences and what you learned from them,

particularly as they relate to the diverse military psychology context. Please discuss why you would like to
participate in the SLP, what you hope to gain, and how you would see yourself utilizing the SLP experience
in your future work as a leader in the Society, including specific leadership roles you might like to pursue.
Please also discuss ideas or areas for your capstone project, Division 19 mentors you would like to work
with and have contacted, and positions you would like to serve in Division 19 on your application statement.
(2) A current curriculum vita.

(3) A letter of recommendation which specifically addresses your potential as a leader, your interpersonal
skills, and your ability to complete projects successfully in a timely manner. If you are a student, please have
a faculty member write this letter on your behalf. If you are an ECP, this letter could be written by a
colleague or mentor.
(4) Upon acceptance, you will be asked to provide a brief bio and professional photo.

We hope to notify applicants of decisions about selection to participate in the Society Leadership Program by
the end of December at the latest to ensure adequate time for booking airfare and clearing your schedule to
attend designated meetings.
Please email questions to the Society Leadership Program Director at slp@militarypsych.org using the
subject line SLP QUESTION with your initials. If you have not received confirmation of your application
in 24 hours send a note to this email.
Chair and Executive Director, Ashley Markovic, PsyD, ABPP
Past Chair Maurice Sipos, PhD
Chair Select Stephen V. Bowles, PhD, ABPP
Incoming Chair Select John Eric Novsel-Lingat, PhD