Students completing a two-semester Mentored Research project can compete for the research awards given by the Department each Spring.

To be eligible, students must submit their theses to the undergraduate office by emailing it as a PDF to cingulli@sas.upenn.edu by May 4th 2026 and give a 15-minute presentation in the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium which will take place on April 30th 2026. In addition, your faculty research advisor must email a nomination letter endorsing your project for an award by May 4th.

If you are not in the Psychology honors program please help facilitate scheduling presentations at the research symposium: contact Claire Ingulli (cingulli@psych.upenn.edu) stating your interest and the title of your project by March 23rd 2026. 

Please note that only psychology majors are eligible to win the Sabini and Viteles awards. The Abela award is open to students pursuing any undergraduate major.  A panel of faculty will select award recipients based on the symposium presentations, papers, and faculty nomination letters.  Winners will be announced at the department graduation ceremony in May.

The annual research awards are:

• The Morris Viteles Award: The Morris Viteles Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research in Psychology was established to recognize one or more psychology majors who have demonstrated a passion for psychological research.
• The John P. Sabini Undergraduate Award for the Study of Emotion, Character, and Responsibility: The John P. Sabini Award for the study of Emotion, Character and Responsibility is awarded to a psychology major with an impressive undergraduate record and a specific interest in social psychology, broadly defined, including the study of emotion, social motives, moral action or character from the perspective of social psychology, evolutionary psychology, analytic philosophy, moral philosophy, or the philosophy of mind.
• The John R. Z. Abela Undergraduate Award for the Study of Positive Psychology: The Abela Award was created in May of 2011 to recognize outstanding undergraduate research in positive psychology. All students who complete a two-semester independent study or Honors Thesis on a topic related to positive psychology are eligible to be considered for the Abela Award. 

There is more information about each award on the Mentored Research Canvas site.