SRCD President's Update January 2026

Dear SRCD members,

As we reflect on 2025 and look forward to the year ahead, I wanted to share a few major activities of the Governing Council from 2025.

First, we had several actions related to publications. After a competitive bidding process, we selected Oxford University Press as our new publication partner to expand services and offerings for our journals and editors. At the request of the editorial board of the Social Policy Report and the Publications Committee, we voted to change the name of the publication to The Child Policy Nexus: Child Development Research and Policy Considerations. Through a Bylaws change, we now have two co-editors of Child Development to handle the large volume of submissions. 

Second, we continued to build our policy programs and launched The Child Policy Toolkit and Child Policy Connect. We have worked on behalf of our members and in coalition with other scientific societies to advocate for science and children in Congress and federal agencies. We hosted our first Hill Day to bring SRCD members to Washington, DC to receive training in advocacy work and meet with federal policymakers. 

Third, we voted to approve the incorporation of the new Disability Caucus and to establish a new Ethics Committee. The Disability Caucus will advance developmental research on disability, increase the representation of children and youth with disabilities, and support child development scholars with disabilities. The Ethics Committee will help ensure that our community of researchers, students, professionals, and partners treat one another with honesty, respect, and fairness.

Fourth, we voted on new Bylaws that reflect SRCD’s commitment to equity, fortify the growth and engagement of graduate students and early career scholars, and maintain the critical involvement and support of senior and emeriti scholars. We’ve continued to support our early career scholars through programs such as the Towards 2044: Horowitz Early Career Scholar Program, Student and Early Career Council (SECC) Dissertation Research Funding Awards, the Policy Fellowship, the Victoria S. Levin award, and the new LEARN Network Mentoring Program. We launched the SRCD Emeritus Mentorship Program to match groups of mentees with tenured SRCD Emeritus members who will then spend the next year providing support and guidance to mentees.

Fifth, we began a strategic planning process that will conclude in March 2026 with the release of a new strategic plan along with metrics that will enable us to measure progress toward meeting our strategic goals. Please be on the lookout for a member survey that will be an opportunity to provide input on the new strategic plan. 

These highlights from 2025 are just a few examples of the ways SRCD serves as a vibrant community dedicated to supporting developmental scientists and improving children’s lives. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or suggestions. 

Thank you for your engagement with SRCD!

Warm regards,

Jen

Jennifer E. Lansford, PhD 
SRCD President

Read November's GC Update
Read September's GC Update