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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY
NY, NY · EIN 900475466 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE F80 · Mental Health & Crisis Intervention · Small ($100K-$1M) · cogdevsoc.org
revenue
$108K
expenses
$78K
net assets
$209K
employees
0
program ratio
89%
mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE A UNIFIED VOICE FOR THE WIDE RANGE OF SCHOLARS, PRACTITIONERS, AND OTHERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE CHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN THE INTELLECTUAL PROCESSES THAT SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Cognitive Development Society supports scholars and practitioners focused on intellectual processes underlying mental health through research dissemination, professional collaboration, and open science tools. It fosters the field of cognitive development by organizing biennial conferences, maintaining research infrastructure, and promoting best practices in developmental science. The society serves researchers and students globally, with a focus on advancing knowledge of cognitive growth from infancy through childhood.

named programs · 12 · from sources

What they call their work

CDS Biennial Conference
International gathering of cognitive development researchers featuring presentations, awards, and networking, held every two years in rotating locations
CDS Listserv
Professional communication platform for job postings, conference announcements, grant opportunities, and scholarly exchange among members
Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) Set
Validated set of ~1200 photographs of children aged 2–8 posing seven emotional facial expressions, available through Databrary
Children’s Social Understanding Scale (CSUS)
Parent-report measure assessing theory of mind in children aged 3 to 6, with validated long and short forms available for download
Databrary
Digital data library for sharing video and research data among developmental scientists, co-led by Karen Adolph and Rick Gilmore
Datavyu
Open-source software for coding behavioral observations from video data, integrated with Databrary and supporting multiple data streams
Early Motor Questionnaire (EMQ)
128-item parent questionnaire assessing motor skill development in children aged 3 to 24 months, with sections on gross motor, fine motor, and perception-action integration
EyetrackingR
R-package for processing, analyzing, and visualizing eye-tracking data, designed for researchers with minimal programming experience
NOUN Database
Collection of 64 novel object images and 10 novel categories for use in experimental research on word learning and categorization
Numerus
Web-based application for generating stimuli in numerical cognition experiments, allowing manipulation of area, perimeter, density, and item size
Preferential Looking Coder (Pref Coder)
Software for coding gaze direction in infant looking paradigms, with keyboard shortcuts for efficient frame-by-frame annotation
Wordbank
Open database of children’s vocabulary development based on MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory data across multiple languages
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Psychoanalytic and Therapeutic Training Support 1 activity
    • Funds and recognizes early-career researchers in cognitive developmental science
      Awards conference attendance support to graduate students and early-career researchers—19 recipients in 2026 and 14 in 2024—and recognizes scholarly contributions through the Steve Reznick Early Career Award, announced at the biennial conference.
  • Professional Job Board & Career Placement Services 1 activity
    • Manages professional communication and job resources for members
      Operates a listserv to share job, conference, grant, and award announcements; posts job listings from the listserv to a public Job Bank on its website; and provides a job posting service for employers.
  • Mentorship and Professional Development Programs 1 activity
    • Operates mentorship programs for early-career researchers
      Runs a formal mentorship program from May 2025 to April 2026 that matches mentees with mentors based on expertise and needs via a structured survey, includes a kick-off video and mid-point check-in, and offers an optional closing event at the CDS Conference; specifically supports early-career researchers from diverse backgrounds.
  • Professional Membership and Association Benefits 1 activity
    • Provides membership benefits to scholars in cognitive development
      Offers members reduced registration fees for the biennial conference, eligibility to present abstracts, access to vote in Society elections and run for Board positions, online access to the Journal of Cognitive Development, and a 20% discount on article processing charges.
  • Open Research Infrastructure & Publishing 1 activity
    • Supports citation practices and technical guidance for researchers
      Provides guidance to investigators on how to cite materials from CDS tools and resources.
  • Uncategorized 6 activities
    • Administers mutual-aid initiative for BIPOC psychology trainees
      Operates #PsychGradWishList, an online platform connecting BIPOC psychology trainees with supporters who purchase requested items from their Amazon.com wish lists.
    • Develops and disseminates open research tools and instruments
      Creates, maintains, and provides access to validated research instruments and software tools including the Children's Social Understanding Scale (CSUS), Early Motor Questionnaire (EMQ), Datavyu, EyetrackingR, Numerus, Preferential Looking Coder (Pref Coder), Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) set, Wordbank, and the Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database.
    • Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and application of research
      Provides structured opportunities through conferences, publications, and working groups for researchers to discuss children’s wellbeing in humanitarian crises and societal challenges, and promotes dialogue bridging cognitive development research with real-world applications.
    • Organizes biennial conferences for cognitive development researchers
      Plans and hosts the CDS Biennial Conference, including events such as the 2026 conference in Montreal and the 2028 conference at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside; past meetings have drawn hundreds of attendees, with 772 participants in Columbus (2015), 609 in Memphis (2013), and 525 in Philadelphia (2011).
    • Produces curated research resources for the scholarly community
      Compiles and shares annotated bibliographies, such as one on the development of racial prejudices, and creates educational materials addressing societal challenges through a research-based lens.
    • Publishes peer-reviewed research in cognitive development
      publishes full-length empirical reports, short high-impact reports, methodological 'Tools of the Trade' features, theoretical essays, and essay reviews in the Journal of Cognitive Development; facilitates NIH manuscript compliance by enabling deposit into PubMed via Taylor and Francis; has published research on topics including theory of mind, language acquisition, social cognition, and cognitive effects of stress and environment.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$108K
Contributions & grants$57K53%
Program service revenue$43K40%
Investment income$8K7%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$78K
Program expenses89%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$209K
Cash$27K
Investments$182K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$209K
Liquid reserves31.9 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -75.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 8
  • CAREN WALKER — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELIZABETH BONAWITZ — BOARD MEMBER
  • JUDITH DANOVITCH — BOARD MEMBER
  • KATIE VASQUEZ — STUDENT BOAR
  • KRISTINA OLSON — BOARD MEMBER
  • MAHESH SRINIVASAN — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARITZA MIRAMONTES — STUDENT BOAR
  • TARA MANDALAYWALA — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • British Academy Funder — Receives funding from the British Academy for the development and validation of the Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database.
  • CDS Network — Member of the Cognitive Development Society network providing tools and resources for investigators.
  • CDS Conference Network — Hosts the optional closing event for the mentorship program
  • Cognitive Development Society Network — Organization's official website and primary entity
  • Databrary Partner — Collaborates with Databrary to support data sharing and integration of tools like Datavyu for developmental science research.
  • Dr. Farrah-Amoy Fullerton Partner — Individual whose work inspired the #PsychGradWishList initiative
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Government — Receives funding from NICHD for participation in the Databrary project and related data-sharing tools for developmental science.
  • Hilton New Orleans Riverside Partner — Host venue for the CDS 2028 conference, providing discounted accommodation rates for attendees.
  • Jessica Horst Partner — Collaborates with Jessica Horst on the development and validation of the Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database.
  • Journal of Cognitive Development Partner — CDS partners with the Journal of Cognitive Development to provide members with online access and discounted article processing charges.
  • Karen Adolph Partner — Collaborates with Karen Adolph (NYU) on the Databrary and Datavyu projects for developmental research data sharing and analysis.
  • Klaus Libertus Partner — Works with Klaus Libertus on the Early Motor Questionnaire (EMQ) and Preferential Looking Coder (Pref Coder) tools for infant development research.
  • Koleen McCrink Partner — Collaborates with Koleen McCrink on the development and distribution of Numerus, a tool for creating stimuli in numerical cognition studies.
  • Leverhulme Trust Funder — Receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust for the development and validation of the Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database.
  • Michael C. Frank Partner — Partners with Michael C. Frank on Wordbank, an open database of children's vocabulary development across languages.
  • Michael Hout Partner — Collaborates with Michael Hout on the Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database for experimental research with children.
  • National Institutes of Health Government — Receives NIH funding (R15HD065629-01) for the development of Numerus, a tool for generating numerical cognition stimuli.
  • National Science Foundation Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Government — Receives funding from NSF BCS for the creation and validation of the Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) set.
  • Rick Gilmore Partner — Collaborates with Rick Gilmore (Penn State) on the Databrary and Datavyu initiatives supporting video-based developmental research.
  • SRCD Partner — Recommends the Commons Lounge community at SRCD as a forum for continued discussion beyond the CDS listserv.
  • Steve Reznick Award Committee Partner — Administers the Steve Reznick Early Career Award on behalf of the Cognitive Development Society.
  • Taylor and Francis Government — Publisher of the Journal of Cognition and Development, responsible for transferring NIH-funded manuscripts to PubMed
  • U.S. National Science Foundation Government — Receives funding support from the U.S. National Science Foundation for collaborative projects including Databrary and Datavyu.
  • Vanessa LoBue Partner — Partners with Vanessa LoBue (Rutgers University) on the development and dissemination of the Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) stimulus set.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Inclusive Scholarly Community through Equitable Access and Representation
    methodology: inclusive_scholarly_community
    By lowering financial and structural barriers to participation (e.g., discounted fees, global nominations, early-career support), the organization increases diversity in cognitive development research, because inclusive representation strengthens scholarly rigor and innovation.
  • Reciprocal Mentorship with Needs-Based Matching
    methodology: reciprocal_mentorship
    By enabling bidirectional mentorship relationships matched to specific expertise and developmental needs, the organization enhances professional growth and knowledge exchange, because mutual commitment fosters deeper engagement than hierarchical models.
  • Translation of High-Quality Research into Meaningful Change
    methodology: evidence_based_research_translation
    By focusing on advancing and disseminating rigorous, evidence-based research rather than public commentary, the organization drives long-term impact in cognitive development, because sustained change is best achieved through scientific translation aligned with its core strengths.