How can our science improve lives?

Many of us are drawn to the study and teaching of human development because we care deeply about improving lives and making a difference in the human experience. However, while we’re trained to ask important questions and conduct rigorous research, we rarely focus on turning the research into something that truly impacts people’s everyday lives. To make a real difference, we need to move beyond the academy and find ways to translate our work into actionable insights for educators, policymakers, families/caregivers, and communities. 

To  help explore how developmental science can be more effective in improving the diverse human experience, the invited theme for 2025 focuses on using Developmental Science for the Public Good. Keynote speakers and invited symposia/panels will highlight research and teaching that meaningfully impacts diverse communities. One focus will be on translating research for real-world use, ensuring that findings reach families, educators, and policymakers in accessible ways. Because improving communities involves engaging with communities from the beginning, the theme will also highlight community-engaged scholarship across the globe, underscoring ethical obligations in research, participatory action research, and the importance of amplifying youth voices. Speakers will highlight innovative methods, including applied research and intervention science, and will emphasize diversifying our curricula to make developmental research more inclusive and accessible.

The 12th Biennial SSHD Conference welcomes submissions examining this year’s theme of “Developmental Science for the Public Good”.  However, submissions are not restricted to this theme – symposia and poster submissions are welcome on any aspect of development, at any stage of the life span or life course.  The program committee also encourages contributions that advance the Society’s Diversity Science Initiative and Emerging Scholars.

Submission Guidelines

There are four presentation options: Posters, Individual Papers, Data Blitz Talks, and Symposia.

For Posters: Submissions should describe scientific findings in an abstract of 250 words. 

For Individual Papers: Submissions should describe scientific findings in an abstract of 250 words. Individual Papers will be grouped with similar topics by the SSHD organizers prior to the conference.

For Data Blitz Talks: Data Blitzes are designed to be a fast-paced overview of research and are limited to 5-minute talks focused on methods and results. Submissions should describe scientific findings in an abstract of 250 words.  

For Symposia: Symposia allow several people to address a particular topic in an integrative manner. As symposia will be scheduled for 75 minutes, we recommend no more than 3 individual presentations (20-min each) with the remaining 15 minutes used to provide or promote integrative discussion. Submissions will require 250-word individual abstracts, plus  250-word overview and description of how the talks will be integrated.   

All Submissions: For each submission, authors will be asked to select a topic from a list that most aligns with the submission. All submissions will also require 3 keywords. 

Important Dates