Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology

Welcome to the LIWP Signature Program Application portal! LIWP is a program of the Leadership Development Institute at the APA with three major components: education, leader outreach, and research. Every LIWP Participant Leader’s journey starts with the Signature Program, a year-long, virtual course with both live and asynchronous components. Participant Leaders in the Signature Program complete 13 live, three-hour sessions, a comprehensive leadership project, a minimum of 4 hours of one-on-one time with an assigned mentor, and two leadership assessments – the FIRO-B and the LDI 360.

After graduating from the Signature Program, alumnae gain access to the LIWP community of leaders, exclusive continuing education opportunities, webinars, and social events. Our research focuses on the long-term achievements of the leaders who have completed the Signature Program, as well as more general leadership trends of women, trans-gender, and gender non-binary psychologists. For more information about our leader outreach, research, and funding operations, check out our APA Main page, or for more questions about our program, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

What can LIWP do you for?

Our alumnae have gone on to achieve positions in academia as University Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Provosts. In the consulting and business sectors we boast over 60 Chief Executives or Organizational Directors who achieved their positions after completing the LIWP Signature Program. Our alums go on to publish books, start award-winning podcasts, appear in news and television programs, and head up major organizations and campaigns such as the National Inpatient Health Mental Program for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For a spotlight on an alum from the LIWP class of 2010, check out this profile on our 2024 APA President of the Board.

Potential Applicants

The Signature Program is open to mid-career*** women, transgender, and gender non-binary psychologists who work full time in one or more settings, including academic, academic medicine, clinical, consulting, corporate, government, military, non-profit/non-governmental organizations, or other settings.

***APA defines mid-career as 10-20 years post-doctoral degree. The APA LIWP is aware that in some instances, leaders have achievements consistent with being mid-career as early as seven years post-doctorate and occasionally, leaders are clearly mid-career even after 20 years in the field. In such cases, the applicant is asked to provide a justification for the exception.

Admission Requirements

Eligible applicants for the LIWP Signature Program are:

• Doctoral level psychologists with a PhD, PsyD, or EdD (or international equivalent) in psychology
• Mid-career psychologists***
• Psychologists currently serving in a leadership role in a professional or volunteer organizational setting. Examples include academicians holding the rank of Assistant Professor or higher, non-profit employees in senior management or director roles, clinicians in professional leadership roles or program directorships, researchers who are Principal Investigators, or SPTA or APA Division elected leaders. These examples are not all-inclusive. If you have questions about your eligibility, please email liwp@apa.org

***APA defines mid-career as 10-20 years post-doctoral degree. The APA LIWP is aware that in some instances, leaders have achievements consistent with being mid-career as early as seven years post-doctorate and occasionally, leaders are clearly mid-career even after 20 years in the field. In such cases, the applicant is asked to provide a justification for the exception.

Before you Begin Your Application

You will need:

• An updated CV
• The name and email address of a person who will write you a letter of recommendation. Your letter writer should be able to speak to your current leadership role and your potential as a leader moving forward. Best candidates for letter writers are current or former supervisors, mentors who hold advanced leadership roles, or chairs/officers in committees or boards you have served on or currently serve on.

The application is comprehensive and may take several hours to complete. Each application for this competitive institute will be reviewed by the Selection Sub-Committee, comprised of LIWP Advisory Committee members, alumnae, faculty, founders, and the LIWP Program Director. Please put thought and care into the answers you provide.

All application materials are due no later than 4:59 pm EST on Monday, October 28, 2024. View the APA LIWP FAQ for more information.

Process

1. Register

Click on the "Register" link and complete and submit the registration form.

2. Login

Login to the application for your desired program with your email and password.

3. Create

Create your online application. From the dropdown menu, select the program that you would like to apply to. For a list of required information and attachments, please review the Application Information Tab.

4. Save

During the Call for Applications period, your application can be saved as DRAFT until all the required information is completed and attachments uploaded. As each section is complete, you will see a appear in the category tab when the application is saved. At any time, you can download and print your application by clicking on the icon in the Application Summary section.

5. Submit

On completion, save your application as FINAL. Download and print a copy of your application for your records by clicking on the icon in the Application Summary section in the right column.

Note: If an update is required prior to the Call for Applications period, you can make the update and resave as FINAL.

If you require assistance or additional information, please contact LDI@apa.org.