The School Psychology Research Collaboration Conference (SPRCC) is a unique opportunity for emerging scholars in the field to work hand-in-hand with top researchers and other emerging scholars in the field of school psychology. Sponsored by the Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP), the SPRCC enhances the research efforts and skills of early career researchers who conduct psychological research relevant to education and the practice of psychology in the schools. The conference facilitates multi-site research by encouraging interactions between early career researchers and senior researchers. SSSP recognizes that multi-site projects allow the possibility for research that draws on broader ranges of expertise, larger samples, more varied populations, and a variety of methodologies to answer theoretical and empirically derived questions. Collaboration among conference attendees will result in researchers being able to address complex and important problems relevant to education and the practice of psychology in the schools.

The principal attendees of the biannual SPRCC include: (a) early-career psychological researchers; (b) senior researchers (i.e., catalyst scholars) interested in mentoring early-career researchers and serving as project consultants; and (c) researchers/school systems interested in collaborating on multi-site projects. In addition, staff members from public and private research funding agencies and foundations that support research relevant to school psychology are encouraged to participate.

Anticipated outcomes of the SPRCC include the following; (1) fostering early-career researchers in obtaining collaborative and mentoring support for their research; (2) discussing important issues and ideas relevant to the application of psychological research to education and the practice of psychology in the schools; (3) developing friendships and working relationships across diverse networks of researchers, resulting in more individuals having a voice and an outlet for their research energies and talents; (4) engaging in constructive dialogue between researchers to establish and clarify research priorities; and (5) enhancing the quality of psychological research.

The 2017 SPRCC will precede the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC! The format will include presentations of interest to early scholars and emphasize focused group discussions among those with related research interests.