Myths

Contrary to the belief that The Sigourney Award is a culmination of a lifetime’s work, it is not a lifetime achievement award. Mary Sigourney stipulated that the award should recognize work accomplished within the decade preceding the award year, making it accessible to a broader range of professionals at various stages of their careers.

While nominations are welcomed and valued, eligibility for The Sigourney Award is not contingent upon nomination by peers within the psychoanalytic community. Self-nominated and peer-nominated applicants undergo the same comprehensive evaluation process.

Actually, The Sigourney Award honors contributions that employ psychoanalytic concepts in innovative ways across a diverse array of fields. Work eligible for consideration may include achievements in academic research, clinical practice, and other disciplines such as anthropology, the arts, child development, criminology, law, medicine, philosophy, psychology, and sociology.

The work needs to be outstanding or innovative, not necessarily well-known. The Sigourney Award’s application process is designed to help applicants describe the impact of their work and how it has advanced psychoanalytic thought or principles within the ten year period prior to the Award.

The Sigourney Award is not restricted by geographic region or language barriers. The application process now accommodates submissions in over 150 languages.