IPPA Award Nominations

The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) hosts an awards program in conjunction with our IPPA World Congress. In 2025, IPPA and our Divisions will be welcoming nominations and applications for a number of awards from our members. To view previous award winners over the years, please visit our Awards page here and you can click across the top by year. Feel free to nominate yourself or someone else for these awards, as both are welcome! Please note that IPPA membership is required to be eligible to win an award.

IPPA Awards

Christopher Peterson Gold Medal

The Christopher Peterson Gold Medal honors an IPPA member who exemplifies the best of positive psychology at the personal, professional, and academic levels. This award is named after Christopher Peterson, a beloved IPPA Fellow, professor, scholar and pioneer in the field of positive psychology. Peterson’s many scholarly contributions include his work on the character strengths and values classification and assessment with Martin Seligman. On a personal level, Peterson was known for his sincerity, humility, integrity, sense of humor and generosity.

James O. Pawelski Positive Catalyst Award

The James O. Pawelski Positive Catalyst Award is presented to an IPPA member who:

• Advances change for the Association
• Has committed their service to IPPA for a sustained period of time
• Has mobilized and catalyzed others to contribute to IPPA
• Has Helpted to build and contribute to the IPPA community
• Can show concrete outcomes and impact for the Association based on their efforts

Raymond D. Fowler Service Award

The Raymond D. Fowler Service Award honors an IPPA member who has gone above and beyond to give his or her time in the service of advancing the field of positive psychology. The award is named after a dear colleague and IPPA Fellow, Ray Fowler, whose generosity and vision catalyzed the creation of IPPA back in 2007.

IPPA Fellowship

The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) confers the title of Fellow on certain IPPA members who have contributed most significantly to the development of the Association and advancement of knowledge in their specific area of discipline, either through research or practice within the field of positive psychology.

Outstanding Practitioner Award

The Outstanding Practitioner Award honors an IPPA practitioner who has shown the most outstanding excellence and impact in advancing the practice of positive psychology in ethical and evidence-based ways.

Early Career Researcher Award

The Early Career Researcher Award honors an IPPA member who, within the first 10 years of completing their PhD, has contributed most significantly to scientific advancement of knowledge in positive psychology.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Top Dissertation Award

This award is conferred on the author of a Ph.D. dissertation on a topic in the domain of positive psychology.  Many of the applications received this year were characterized by impressively high levels of originality and methodological complexity: a very promising perspective for the future of positive psychology.

Division Awards

Clinical Division

The George E. Vaillant Award for Contributions to Positive Clinical Psychology

Named in recognition of Dr. George Vaillant’s seminal contributions to the field of Positive Clinical Psychology, this award recognizes distinguished contributions of the application of positive psychology in the clinical realm, including but not limited to endeavors such as designing, delivery, training and evaluation of positive assessment and interventions.

Early Career Clinician Award

This award recognizes exceptional contributions of the application of positive psychology in the clinical realm (broadly defined) of an early career professional (i.e., within the first 10 years of completing their PhD). Contributions include, but are not limited to, endeavors such as designing, delivering, training, and/or evaluating positive assessment and interventions through professional practice, teaching, research, and/or service.

Education Division

Positive Educator Impact – Practitioner Award

This award recognizes individuals (educators, students, coaches, consultants, administrators, parents, academics) that are having a positive impact in educational and academic settings by implanting the principles, practices and applications of Positive Education. As such this award is open to individuals who work in educational settings, and academics focused on positive education research.

Positive Educator Impact – Researcher Award

This award recognizes individuals (educators, students, coaches, consultants, administrators, parents, academics) that are having a positive impact in educational and academic settings by implanting the principles, practices and applications of Positive Education. As such this award is open to individuals who work in educational settings, and academics focused on positive education research.

Positive Health & Wellbeing Division

Contributions in Positive Health and Wellbeing Award

The Contributions in Positive Health and Wellbeing Award recognizes individuals with long and distinguished careers who have made a notable impact on the field of positive health and wellbeing. Nominees can be any professional involved in positive health (academics, researchers, clinicians, organizations, practitioners, consultants, coaches), who uses positive psychology to advance human longevity, quality of life, and physiological and psychological wellbeing (including decreased morbidity).

Positive Health and Wellbeing Practitioner Award

The Positive Health and Wellbeing Practitioner Award recognizes individuals with distinguished careers who have made a notable impact on the field of positive health and wellbeing. Nominees can be any professional involved in positive health (clinicians, organizations, practitioners, consultants, coaches), who uses positive psychology to advance human longevity, quality of life, and physiological and psychological wellbeing (including decreased morbidity).

SIPPA

SIPPA Inspiring Mentor Award

The SIPPA Inspiring Mentor Award recognizes one outstanding mentor in the field of positive psychology who provides continued commitment and support to students, fostering professional and academic development.

SIPPA Student Impact Award

The SIPPA Student Impact Award celebrates a student who has made significant contributions to the positive psychology community, literature, or practice. This award recognizes an individual whose work, actions, or advocacy has created a meaningful impact, whether through advancing the field, fostering community well-being, or inspiring others through their dedication and leadership.

Spirituality & Meaning Division

Spirituality and Meaning (SMD) Practitioner Award

The SMD awards (Spirituality/Meaning – Researcher Award and Spirituality/Meaning – Practitioner Award) recognize exemplary professionals that have had and are continuing to have a substantially positive impact in research and/or practice in spirituality/meaning. The quality of their work serves as an important example for the field of spirituality/meaning and the larger field of positive psychology, as it demonstrates strong theory, research, and/or practice.

Spirituality and Meaning (SMD) Researcher Award

The SMD awards (Spirituality/Meaning – Researcher Award and Spirituality/Meaning – Practitioner Award) recognize exemplary professionals that have had and are continuing to have a substantially positive impact in research and/or practice in spirituality/meaning. The quality of their work serves as an important example for the field of spirituality/meaning and the larger field of positive psychology, as it demonstrates strong theory, research, and/or practice.

Work & Organizations Divisions

Work & Organizations Division Exemplary Research to Practice Award

This award is presented to a WOD member who has advanced the application of evidence-based science in the field of positive work and organizations (PWO). Their work serves as a stand-alone exemplar of a cumulative contribution to PWO through applying theory and research in practical applications and/or field application of scientific findings. The quality of their work demonstrates potential of our members to contribute to PWO theory, research, and/or practice, and should be considered a standard for us all, researchers and practitioners alike, to aspire to as we work to positively transform the way the world works.

Positive Organizational Intervention Challenge (POIC)

The POIC is a friendly competition among IPPA WOD members to develop positive psychology-based interventions for workers and the workplace. The underlying purpose of the POIC is to spur conversation about bridging the gap between academic research and application.