Find Your Home at SRCD
SRCD is a diverse, international, and interdisciplinary society that supports researchers, instructors, practitioners, and policy-makers who share an interest in and commitment to child development research. Join leading developmental scientists from more than 60 countries around the world in making the Society for Research in Child Development your professional home.
Each fall, colleges and universities invite students, faculty, and alums to celebrate and remember why they love their institutional home. In the coming weeks, SRCD invites you to a virtual homecoming as we share what makes SRCD our members’ professional home.
No matter where you are in your career, SRCD's member-exclusive benefits provide the resources and opportunities to help you grow and flourish professionally. Explore our ever-growing list of SRCD member benefits and learn why thousands of child development experts call SRCD home.
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Find Your Community at SRCD
Whether it is from our fifteen committees or five caucuses, our Biennial Meetings’ 4k-5k attendees, or our Special Topic and Summit meetings’ 200+ attendees, you will find your intellectual home here with plenty of like-minded yet diverse individuals to share it with.
Our membership is interdisciplinary, global, and represents all career stages. As a member, you can interact on SRCD Commons; find people with similar interests in our webinars, mentorship programs, fellowships; and also connect with policymakers in our new Child Policy Hub.
Find your professional home, while also benefitting from the latest journal publications, the ability to apply for grants and awards, the development of your professional skills, potential nominations to federal positions, and advocacy in Congress and federal agencies from an organization.
What Members Are Saying
I joined SRCD as a graduate student and it’s been my academic home since...
I “grew up” in SRCD. I met other graduate students who are now leaders in the field. I was exposed to many of the folks who are profiled by the SRCD’s History Project. As I matured, I was involved in SRCD’s Black Caucus and several other committees in which I got to know colleagues who are now friends... I continue to look forward to the Biennial meeting to learn about cutting edge developmental science, see old friends, and to make new ones.
Dr. Michael Cunningham, SRCD member since 1991
My favorite part of SRCD membership is knowing that you are part of an organization...
that is a pillar in the field and seen as a purveyor of science. I appreciate that I am connected with a globally diverse array of scholars. ... [T]he Black Caucus [is] an aspect of SRCD that is one of my favorites... Finally, I like that if there is an issue that requires evidence-informed responses, I can come to a brilliant group and get answers, referrals, insights, and consultation, all for free!
Dr. Iheoma Iruka, SRCD member since 2004
[SRCD’s event, Constructing the Other] was soul-filling - to be surrounded by...
so many wonderful scholars, so many folks who are passionate about issues of social justice and equity, so many folks doing excellent and inspiring work, and to have this all take place in a Spanish-speaking community, with a beautiful beach as the backdrop, amazing food, and such warm and welcoming people - it was magical.
Dr. Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, SRCD member since 2002
... [T]he SRCD Biennial Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah was...
my first time being at a large, in-person conference, and I felt so inspired to be in a room full of scholars committed to SOGIE topics. I was struggling to find colleagues that had lived or studied LGBTQ+ experiences, and it was so refreshing to feel that community instantly... I felt lucky to be joining in.
Alaina Dooley, SRCD member since 2021
SRCD plays a vital role in advocating on behalf of its members...
although these advocacy efforts often happen behind the scenes. For example, SRCD recently provided feedback on a proposed reorganization of the National Institutes of Health, which included the elimination of the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD). If enacted, this proposal would impact many members of SRCD, but it is unclear whether SRCD members would have known that this change was being proposed without the efforts of the Society's policy staff. Thanks to those staff members, SRCD was able to publish a response outlining how the proposed changes would jeopardize scientific progress in fields from maternal health to early education.
Dr. Steven J. Holochwost, SRCD member since 2008
Why is SRCD my professional home?
Because I care about child development, and I appreciate the goal of understanding child development from an interdisciplinary, international perspective. Although there is a long way to go to achieve this goal, it is key to understanding human life. I want to do my part to help us and the world understand children’s lives from a perspective that uses the knowledge and tools available across disciplines and reflects the strengths of children, families, and cultural communities worldwide. To help with this, I’m in the process of revising my book, The Cultural Nature of Human Development, and I’m grateful to join in the work of the Caucuses in helping SRCD expand understanding of child development.
Dr. Barbara Rogoff
I have remained an SRCD member because of the community it fosters...
bringing together scholars from diverse backgrounds who share a commitment to advancing child development research. SRCD’s growing focus on supporting research in the Global South has been particularly meaningful to me, as it reflects a commitment to inclusivity and addressing global challenges. The resources and conferences provide invaluable opportunities for collaboration and learning, keeping the field dynamic and relevant. SRCD’s dedication to global inclusivity and research beyond traditional contexts are outstanding.
Dr. Silvia Koller, SRCD member since 1992
As an SRCD member, I have connected and worked with researchers and scholars in the field of child development...
who I might not have otherwise met. The most significant impact on my research and sense of belongingness in the field is directly tied to my membership in the Latinx and Black Caucuses. My involvement with SRCD has expanded my mentor network and given me the opportunity to engage in a range of professional activities to expand my skills in collaboration, communication, and analytical reasoning.
Dr. Sabrina Mendez-Escobar, SRCD member since 2018
Three aspects of SRCD have been instrumental to me and my career development...
1) a life course progression of childhood development extending from pre-conception through childhood and adolescence; 2) the diversity in childhood development that emerges globally in an ecology of interactive processes ranging from genetic through socio-cultural to geo-political and climate; and 3) a commitment to rigorous science needed to understand and foster human development. When I had the honor of selecting a home for the coordination of the Patrice L Engle Dissertation Grants for Global Early Childhood Development, SRCD was the obvious choice. I am pleased that we have supported 45 scholars from 28 countries.
Dr. Maureen Black, SRCD member since 1977
I attended my first SRCD Biennial during my first year in graduate school...
and I've considered SRCD to be my professional home ever since. SRCD has provided resources at every phase of my professional development: from Student/Early Career programming, to workshops at the Developmental Science Teaching Institute when I was designing my first courses, to mentoring the next generation of scholars through the Horowitz Early Career Scholars Program. Most of all, I'm grateful for the community of friends, collaborators, and mentors in SRCD's Asian Caucus, and the indelible impact they've had on my career.
Dr. Stephen Chen, SRCD member since 2009
SRCD is my professional home because...
it is the first conference I attended and the first place I encountered academia beyond the space of higher education institutions. But SRCD has become a personal and intellectual home because of the Black Caucus and the community it provides for my scholarship, my students, and my sense of self beyond academia.
Dr. Leoandra Onnie Rogers, SRCD member since 2011
[The SRCD U.S. Policy] fellowship has been an absolute gift for my career.
I have discovered exactly where I want to be. I am forever grateful to SRCD for accepting me into this fellowship and awarding me with this opportunity that profoundly influenced the direction of my professional career.
Dr. Tanya Tavassolie, SRCD member since 2014
SRCD has been instrumental in my professional development as an international member since 2012.
Through the SRCD mentorship programme, I was guided by a mentor in refining my conference abstracts and supported me throughout my Ph.D. journey. This mentorship opened opportunities for travel grants to conferences where I gained valuable insights from experienced scholars. These experiences have enriched my research skills and academic network.
Dr. Patricia Mawusi Amos, SRCD member since 2012