Conference Attendance Support

The Cognitive Development Society is committed to making conference participation more accessible and inclusive. To help reduce financial barriers to attendance, we offer two forms of support: the Diversity Travel Awards and the Family Care Grants.

Diversity Awards

 Supported by:

The Cognitive Development Society, with support from foundry10, is accepting applications for the 2026 Diversity Travel Awards. The CDS Diversity Travel Award will provide complimentary conference registration as well as funds of $750 USD to each winner to help defray the cost of transportation, hotel, and meals during CDS 2026 in Montreal, Canada. Please note the award will not cover all expenses.

Award winners will be given the option to be paired with a mentor during the conference.

Please note that a brief description of how your background has affected your experiences or work in cognitive developmental science is a required field in order to be considered for the award.

All information submitted will be kept confidential but shared among the awards committee during the review process.

Deadline for submission was January 8th, 2026

Past Winners

2026 Winners:

Kirsten Blakey, University of Stirling
Stephanie Castro, University of Texas at Austin
Haoyu Du, University of California, San Diego
Lauren Girouard, University of Louisville
Isabel Herrera Guevara. University of California, Irvine
Erim Kizildere, University of California, Davis
Mert Kobas, New York University
Khuyen Le, University of California, San Diego
Yuexin Li, New York University
Di Liu, Johns Hopkins University
Sarah Muller, Scripps College
Nicole Park, University of Rochester
Laura Reyes Umana, Yale University
Alice Smaniotto Aizza, University of Washington
Yuchen Tian, Boston University
Xiaoqiao Wang, University of Texas at Austin
Sarah Williams, Brown University
Jingyi Xu, Boston University
Nina Ye, Boston University

2024 Winners:

Alexa Sacchi
Alexus Ramirez
Breanna Amoyaw
Brandon Carrillo
Chuyi Yang
Elizabeth Perkovich
Grace Ocular
Isis Angelica Segura
Mingxuan Zhao
Natalie Sarmiento
Natalie Quintero
Nicole Coates
Qianjin Guo
Yilin Liu

Family Grant

CDS members can request a family grant of $500 for CDS 2026, subject to the availability of funds. If you require more, please submit a budget and reasoning to . Applications will be reviewed by the Cognitive Development Society Executive Committee.

Applications are due by January 8, 2026 for consideration.

Eligibility

    • All CDS members with one or more dependent who requires childcare, elder care, or care due to disability are eligible for this grant, although preference will be given to early career researchers should demand be greater than resources
    • Grant recipients must be registered to attend the CDS Meeting 
    • Applicant must be presenting original work as primary author in a poster, paper or symposium presentation
    • Only one parent/caregiver for a given family may apply