The Southern Psychiatric Association offers an annual award for a manuscript or abstract concerning basic or clinical research, or a scholarly review of literature, on a topic pertinent to psychiatry. The manuscript/abstract must be submitted by a resident in the territory comprising the membership of the Association.

ELIGIBILITY: Psychiatric Residents or Fellows are eligible to submit papers/ abstracts if they have not completed their residency or fellowship by June 30, 2008, and are enrolled in an approved graduate education program in one of the geographic areas from which the membership of the Southern Psychiatric Association is derived. Eligible areas: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

AWARD WINNER RECEIVES:

• $500 Honorarium if present at Annual Meeting
• Invitation to Present Winning Paper at SPA’s 2008 Annual Meeting
• Travel expenses up to $1000 to SPA’s Annual Meeting, September 24-28, 2007, at the DoubleTree Guest Suites in Charleston, South Carolina
• Recognition for Award Winner’s Training Program
• Assistance in Submitting Paper for Publication in an Appropriate Medical Journal

WHAT TO SUBMIT: Applicants should submit an original and five (5) copies of the completed manuscript or abstract. Manuscripts/abstracts must be typewritten, double-spaced, and of substantial content to allow for a 30- to 45-minute presentation. Abstracts should be no longer than two pages long, and should include: Introduction, Purpose, Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusions and at least 3 references.
Strong consideration will be given to the timeliness of the topic, applicability to a general psychiatric audience, and originality of the paper. The winner’s work will become the property of the Association, which will, in consultation with the author, submit it for publication in an appropriate journal. All submissions must be original, not previously published. (The Association may not offer the award if there are no submissions of suitable quality.)

DEADLINE: The final deadline for submission of manuscripts/abstracts is May 16, 2008, but applicants are encouraged to submit manuscripts as early as possible for consideration by the committee.

Submission Deadline: May 16, 2008