Estes Fund Request for Proposals

Initial Proposal Application Open Now!
Deadline for Initial Proposals: September 1, 2026

Final Proposal Deadline (by Invitation): December 1, 2026

The William K. and Katherine W. Estes Fund invites proposals to fund the creation and hosting of advanced training opportunities in mathematical and computational modeling for psychological science in summer schools or focused workshops. Proposed training opportunities may take place virtually or in person around the globe. The committee believes that in-person trainings have benefits not available in a virtual setting but will consider funding for a virtual event when a proposal makes a sufficiently strong case for one.

Access the application here.

Review the Application Process for proposal requirements.

Summer Schools

A summer school would provide foundational training in mathematical or computational modeling to advanced trainees (PhD students and/or postdoctoral scholars), usually over a period from a few days up to two weeks. A successful summer school might be repeated.

Workshops

A workshop would be focused on a topic or method in an area of rapid recent progress and would serve trainees and also established researchers. Topics in which the Estes Fund Committee is particularly interested include:

• Cognitive architectures
• Bayesian approaches to perception and concept formation
• Machine learning for psychological modeling
• Applications of mathematical models to neuroscience.

Typically a workshop would last one to two days, and might be held in conjunction with a larger meeting. For both summer schools and workshops, participants should be selected by application rather than solely by invitation. Proposals that include a mechanism for online distribution of pedagogical materials are especially encouraged.

Mechanism of Support

Support will be provided in the form of a grant from the Estes Fund, which is jointly overseen by the Association for Psychological Science and the Psychonomic Society. 

This is a breakdown of funding amounts available for either type of program: 

Summer School: Maximum award is $40,000. 
Workshop: Maximum award is $20,000. 

Proposers are encouraged to develop budgets that combine support from the Estes Fund with funding from other sources. The committee may consider allocating all available funds to a single proposal, but they are more likely to consider proposals that allow them to fund more than one project.  

Application Process

Questions? Contact [email protected]. 

Programs will be selected in a two-stage process. The initial application form requests: 

• Proposal title 
• Core topic in broad terms and brief pitch for its importance and timeliness  
• Nature and size of target audience  
• Learning goals and deliverables  
• Key activities by which the learning objectives will be realized including details of who will deliver the training, where, and when plus any plans for pre-event and/or post-event follow-up activities  
• Plans for securing additional financial or in-kind support  
• Plans for assessing the extent to which the intended learning outcomes were achieved 
• Plans for archiving the materials in ways that would foster future use  
• Up to 500 words to elaborate any of the foregoing and/or additional points (optional) 

The Estes Fund Committee will select a small number of initial proposals for further consideration. Only those applicants whose initial proposals are selected by the committee will be eligible to submit full proposals. 

Expenses that are eligible for funding include reasonable fees and expenses (including travel) for speakers or instructors; meeting room rental; travel and lodging for participants; audiovisual equipment rental and labor fees; food and beverage; technology needs related to virtual training; and miscellaneous expenses such as printed matter and name badges. Honoraria for workshop speakers will not generally be approved, but honoraria for summer schools may be considered. Proposers are encouraged to develop budgets that combine support from the Estes Fund with other sources when available.  

The Association for Psychological Science and the Psychonomic Society are committed to scientific merit, which entails the inclusion of scientists of all genders, races, sexual orientations, disability statuses, countries of origin, geographical locations, and disciplinary expertise. 

 The proposed activity should aim to advance and promote mathematical, quantitative, and/or computational methods and theory in psychological science. The Committee prioritizes activities that are innovative and have good potential for broad and lasting scientific impact. Proposals seeking support for well-established recurring events are not likely to succeed. 

About the Estes Fund

The Estes Fund was established to honor William K. and Katherine W. Estes. Bill Estes was a giant in the fields of learning and mathematical psychology, a recipient of the National Medal of Science, and the founding editor of the journal Psychological Science, for which Kay Estes served as founding managing editor.

The Estes Fund is jointly overseen by the Association for Psychological Science and the Psychonomic Society.

2026 Estes Fund Committee