Experimental Psychology Society

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Not publicly disclosed
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Variable by scheme (2-8 weeks after deadline)
• Grant Range: £250 - £10,000
• Geographic Focus: UK-based (with international membership)

Contact Details

• Website: www.eps.ac.uk
• Email: expsychsoc@kent.ac.uk (general enquiries and applications)
• Phone: 020 7679 1153
• Honorary Treasurer: Professor Patrick Haggard, UCL (p.haggard@ucl.ac.uk)

Overview

The Experimental Psychology Society (EPS) was established in 1946 by Oliver L. Zangwill as the “Experimental Psychology Group.” Registered as charity number 258747, the Society facilitates research in experimental psychology and promotes scientific communication among experimental psychologists and those working in cognate fields. The organization funds its activities primarily through proceeds from its journal, the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (QJEP), published by SAGE. The Society supports research at all career stages—undergraduate through established researcher—through multiple grant schemes totaling over £30,000 in maximum individual awards. The EPS holds regular scientific meetings, sponsors workshops on special topics, and awards both grants and prizes. The organization maintains a strong commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), with dedicated advisors on the committee, and actively encourages open science practices while ensuring adequate statistical power in funded research.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants: £0 - £10,000 (rolling deadlines: June 1 and December 1)

• Online application via email submission
• Supports small-scale empirical research requiring research assistance and/or study expenses
• Preference given to first-time applicants, early-career researchers, and those without current grant funding
• Projects must commence within three months of August 1 (June deadline) or February 1 (December deadline)

Study Visit Grants: £0 - £3,500 (quarterly deadlines: March 1, June 1, September 1, December 1)

• Finances postgraduate and postdoctoral research visits to develop skills at other institutions
• Covers travel (cheapest reasonable means), visa costs (up to £150), and accommodation
• Preference given to first-time applicants and those supervised by EPS members

Research Workshops: £0 - £4,500 (quarterly deadlines: March 1, June 1, September 1, December 1)

• Application must be submitted at least 6 months before planned workshop
• Workshop must occur at least 8 weeks after funding deadline
• Contributes toward participant maintenance and basic costs (e.g., printing)
• Committee favors timely research topics, diverse communities, and UK-based workshops open to all EPS members

Undergraduate Research Bursary: £3,750 (fixed; deadline: March 1 annually)

• Provides 10 weeks' support at £375/week stipend
• For undergraduates undertaking summer research prior to final year
• Departments may submit only one nomination
• Students must be planning a research career in experimental psychology

New Graduate Research Bursary: £3,750 (fixed; deadline varies)

• Provides 10 weeks' support at £375/week stipend for nominated graduates
• Similar structure to Undergraduate Bursary

Grindley Grant: £0 - £500 (rolling basis; 2-4 weeks before event)

• Finances conference travel within EPS interests
• Preference for attending EPS meetings
• Maximum 2 applications per calendar year
• Covers travel (45p/mile) and accommodation (max £100/day)

EPS Carers Grant: £0 - £250 per member per year (rolling; 4 weeks before event)

• Supports members with caring responsibilities attending EPS meetings and workshops
• Covers additional care costs while away at conferences
• Priority to first-time applicants
• Processed in order of receipt from limited annual fund

Priority Areas

The EPS defines experimental psychology broadly, aligned with topics published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology:

• Attention, perception, learning, memory
• Language, reasoning, development and aging
• Animal cognition, social cognition, embodiment
• Emerging topics in experimental psychology
• Research using behavioral testing, brain imaging, computational modeling

Key Funding Principles:

• Small-scale empirical studies requiring research assistance
• Projects not central to already-funded research
• Statistical power adequately considered
• Student participation encouraged (ad-hoc basis)
• Open science practices (pre-registration encouraged but not required)
• Fair compensation for research participants and assistants

What They Don't Fund

Explicitly Excluded:

• Student fees
• Teaching replacement costs
• Overheads, indirect costs, or estate costs
• Work central to already-funded projects or PhD research
• Unpaid research assistance integral to projects
• Retrospective applications
• Subsistence expenses (Study Visit Grants)
• Conference registration fees (Grindley Grant)
• Expenses already reimbursed elsewhere

Restrictions:

• Cannot receive multiple EPS grants in the same 12-month period
• Only one application per funding round across all schemes
• Applications lacking adequate statistical power justification (except exploratory/method-development work)

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Governance and Leadership

2025 Committee

Officers:

• President: Professor Robert Honey, Cardiff University
• Honorary Secretary: Dr Ruth Filik, University of Nottingham
• Honorary Treasurer: Professor Patrick Haggard, UCL
• Editor of QJEP: Professor Antonia Hamilton, UCL
• Conference Secretary: Professor Jeremy Tree, Swansea University

Ordinary Committee Members:

• Dr Angela De Bruin, University of York
• Dr Katie Gray, University of Reading
• Dr Rachael Hulme, Heriot-Watt University
• Dr Nadine Lavan, Queen Mary University of London
• Dr Matthew Mak, University of Warwick
• Dr Adam Parker, UCL
• Dr Kay Ritchie, University of Lincoln
• Dr Gonzalo Urcelay, University of Nottingham

Advisory Positions:

• ECR Advisor: Dr Emily Crowe
• EDI Advisor: Dr Clare Sutherland, University of Aberdeen
• EDI Advisor (Maternity Cover): Dr Angela De Bruin

Committee members review funding applications up to four times per year depending on the scheme.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

General Process:

• All applications submitted via email to expsychsoc@kent.ac.uk
• Documents must be combined into a single PDF
• Application forms available on scheme-specific pages at eps.ac.uk
• Most schemes require EPS membership (Ordinary or Postgraduate)

Required Materials (vary by scheme):

• Completed application form
• Research proposal (typically max 1,000 words, references separate)
• Curriculum vitae (one page showing external grant support for last 3 years)
• Letters of support (department head, host institution, supervisor, or EPS member references)
• Budget justification

Membership Requirements:

• Ordinary membership: PhD, minimum 2 peer-reviewed publications with prominent authorship, oral/poster presentation at EPS meeting, ability to attend meetings reasonably often, nomination by one EPS member
• Postgraduate membership: Available for doctoral students

Decision Timeline

Application Processing:

• Proposals circulated to committee members with meeting agendas following submission deadlines
• Committee decisions made at regular meetings (frequency varies by scheme)
• Typical timeframe: 2-8 weeks after deadline depending on scheme
• Applicants notified by email

Scheme-Specific Timelines:

• Small Grants: Decisions made for June 1 deadline (projects start August 1); December 1 deadline (projects start February 1)
• Study Visit Grants: Quarterly review cycle (March, June, September, December)
• Research Workshops: Decisions made at quarterly meetings; minimum 8 weeks notice required before workshop
• Grindley Grants: 2-4 weeks before event; decisions typically within 2 weeks
• Carers Grant: Decisions typically within 2 weeks of submission

Reimbursement:

• Most grants paid in arrears upon submission of final report and invoice
• Small Grants: Reimbursed to host institution after final report approval
• Final reports typically due within 2-8 weeks after project completion

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the EPS provides guidance on competitive factors:

• Preference given to first-time applicants across most schemes
• Early-career researchers prioritized for Small Grants
• Applications demonstrating strong links with EPS membership and remit receive higher priority
• Those supervised by EPS members favored for Study Visit Grants
• Applications without current external grant funding receive preference for Small Grants

Reapplication Policy

Waiting Periods:

• Only one application per scheme in any 12-month period
• Unsuccessful applicants must wait until the corresponding deadline in the following year before reapplying to the same scheme
• Example: Unsuccessful September Study Visit Grant application cannot reapply until the following September at earliest

Cross-Scheme Restrictions:

• Cannot apply to multiple EPS funding schemes in the same round
• Cannot receive multiple EPS grants within the same calendar year (with some exceptions for Grindley Grants)
• Small Grant and Undergraduate/New Graduate Bursary recipients cannot apply for other schemes in current or preceding calendar year

No Explicit Rejection Policy:

• The EPS does not publicly state restrictions on reapplying after rejection beyond the 12-month rule
• Applicants may resubmit revised proposals after the mandatory waiting period

Application Success Factors

Statistical Power and Methodology

According to EPS guidance: “The EPS is keen to ensure that applicants have fully considered the adequacy of statistical power when planning experiments.” However, the committee recognizes exploratory or method-development projects may warrant exceptions. Strong applications demonstrate thoughtful experimental design with justified sample sizes.

Compensation Standards

The EPS Small Grants guidance states: “The committee will typically decline applications involving research assistance performed on an unpaid basis if such assistance is integral to the project.” Recent successful grants show mean/median payment rates around £15 per hour for research assistants, though rates for technical expertise may be higher. Applications should demonstrate fair compensation for participants and staff.

Links to EPS Community

The Society prioritizes applications demonstrating strong connections to EPS membership and remit. For Study Visit Grants, “preference will be given to first time applicants and those who are supervised by EPS members, with greater priority given to applications demonstrating strong links with the EPS membership and remit.” Attending EPS meetings, presenting research, and networking with members strengthens applications.

Open Science Practices

While the EPS “encourages pre-registration” of studies, it is “not a requirement” for funding. Applications may benefit from discussing open science practices, but these are not mandatory.

Early-Career Focus

For Study Visit Grants, the guidance notes: “Early in a PhD, such applications may be declined because the visit works best after a certain amount of foundational research training has been undertaken.” Optimal timing is after establishing research skills but while still in postdoctoral/advanced doctoral stages. First-time applicants receive priority across most schemes.

Clear Justification for Resources

Applications must clearly justify why requested resources are necessary. For Study Visit Grants, applicants should explain how the visit develops skills unavailable at their home institution. For Small Grants, demonstrate that work is not central to already-funded projects.

Alignment with QJEP Scope

Research must fall within experimental psychology as defined by the content of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. This includes attention, perception, learning, memory, language, reasoning, development, aging, animal cognition, social cognition, embodiment, and emerging topics using behavioral testing, brain imaging, or computational modeling.

Workshop Accessibility

For Research Workshops, “the committee will look favourably on workshops which are located in the UK for accessibility, and which are open to all EPS members (and postgraduate students).” Applications should demonstrate diversity of research communities and topics that cannot fit standard EPS meeting formats.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Membership is essential: Nearly all schemes require EPS Ordinary or Postgraduate membership; join early and attend meetings to build connections and demonstrate engagement with the Society
• First-time applicants have an edge: Multiple schemes explicitly prioritize first-time applicants; apply strategically to maximize your chances as a new applicant
• One application per round rule: You can only apply to one EPS funding scheme per deadline round; choose the scheme that best fits your needs and timing
• Statistical power matters: Demonstrate thoughtful experimental design with adequate sample sizes and power calculations; be prepared to justify your methodology
• Fair compensation is expected: Budget for appropriate payment to research assistants (£15/hour baseline) and participants; unpaid integral research assistance typically results in rejection
• 12-month reapplication waiting period: Unsuccessful applicants must wait until the corresponding deadline the following year before resubmitting to the same scheme
• Early-career researchers are prioritized: For Small Grants, preference is given to those without current external grant funding and at early career stages
• Show your EPS connections: Applications demonstrating strong links to EPS membership and remit receive priority; supervisor EPS membership and your own engagement with Society activities strengthen applications

References

1. Experimental Psychology Society - About the Society. https://eps.ac.uk/about/..
2. Experimental Psychology Society - Small Grants. https://eps.ac.uk/small-grants/..
3. Experimental Psychology Society - Study Visit Grants. https://eps.ac.uk/study-visit-grants/..
4. Experimental Psychology Society - Research Workshops. https://eps.ac.uk/research-workshops/..
5. Experimental Psychology Society - Information about Funding. https://eps.ac.uk/information-about-funding/..
6. Experimental Psychology Society - Undergraduate Research Bursary. https://eps.ac.uk/undergraduate-research-bursary/..
7. Experimental Psychology Society - Grindley Grant. https://eps.ac.uk/grindley-grant/..
8. Experimental Psychology Society - EPS Carers Fund. https://eps.ac.uk/carer-grant/..
9. Experimental Psychology Society - Committee Members. https://eps.ac.uk/committee-members/..
10. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology - SAGE Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/qjp..
11. Charity Commission for England and Wales - Experimental Psychology Society (Charity Number 258747). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/258747..