Call for 2025 SSHD Award Nominations
The Society for the Study of Human Development established six awards to highlight the scientific and pedagogical contributions of researchers in the field of human development. To receive consideration, nominations should be sent via email (preferably bundled into one email) to the SSHD Awards Committee at awards@sshdonline.org by August 1, 2025. Please include the award category in the subject line.
Please note: Nominees are expected to be members of SSHD. Award winners are expected to attend the 2025 conference where they will receive the award, and their work will be highlighted. Click here for more information on membership and the 2025 conference.
The award categories are:
1. DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME CAREER AWARD. This award is designed to honor a scholar in the physical or social sciences whose work has made a substantial, lifetime and sustained contribution to the understanding of significant and critical aspects of human development.
Eligibility: Nominees should demonstrate evidence of sustained scholarly accomplishment, including research, outreach, and scholarly publications in journals/books. They must be SSHD members in good standing.
Nomination Process: Nominations should include the following: 1) Cover letter from a nominating scholar indicating the qualifications and achievements of the nominee. The letter should summarize current and past professional accomplishments, in such areas as research, publication and outreach; 2) Current resume of the nominee; 3) Two additional letters of support.
2. EARLY CAREER AWARD. This award is designed to honor an early career scholar whose work has made a significant contribution to the understanding of significant and critical aspects of human development.
Eligibility: Nominees must have received their doctoral degrees within the past 10 years, be SSHD members, and have demonstrated evidence of sustained scholarly accomplishment, in such areas as research, scholarly publications, and outreach.
Nomination Process: Nominations should include the following: 1) Cover letter from a nominating scholar indicating the qualifications and achievements of the nominee; 2) Current resume of the nominee; 3) Two additional letters of support.
3. MENTOR AWARD. The SSHD Mentor award will be given to an established scholar in human development who has had a prominent impact on the careers of students and colleagues. The mentor will have been a full professor for at least five years as well as someone whose mentoring success can be assessed, in part, by the accomplishments of their students and/or younger colleagues, including evidence of recognition in teaching, research or outreach. The mentor will have given evidence of nurturing the careers and professional development of students and colleagues through such activities as: 1) providing advice and support for professional advancement and 2) helping mentees build professional networks with leading scholars in human development.
Nominations: Nominations can be made by colleagues, students or through self-nominations and include the following: 1) A nomination letter which includes a specific description of the nominee’s mentoring activities; 2) Names of graduate/undergraduate students and junior colleagues who have been mentored by the nominee; 3) Nominee’s resume; 4) Two letters of support/reference written by colleagues or students, including a specific description of the mentoring relationship and how the mentor facilitated and supported the student or colleague.
4. ERIN PHELPS AWARD. SSHD has established the Erin Phelps Award to honor both her and the best article published in the last two years. Erin was a seminal editor for Research in Human Development and ably guided the publication to prominence.
Eligibility: Nominations are for any article published in Research in Human Development from 2023 to 2025.
Nomination Process: Nominations should include the following: 1) Cover letter from a nominating scholar indicating why they feel this article should win the Erin Phelps award; 2) Complete reference or copy of the article.
Diversity Science Award Categories
5. JAMES JACKSON AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS. This award emphasizes significant efforts in the study of underserved communities and social justice, especially when focused on work that implements positive change in those communities or substantively advances Diversity Science within human development theoretically, conceptually, or methodologically. Innovation in these areas or policy-related service to the field will be strongly considered. Scholars applying for this award are more advanced in their careers, at least 7 years post Ph.D.
Nomination Process: Nominations should include the following: 1) Cover letter from a nominating scholar indicating the qualifications and achievements of the nominee as they relate to DSI. The letter should summarize current and past professional accomplishments, in such areas as research, publication and outreach as related to DSI; 2) Current resume of the nominee; 3) Two additional letters of support.
The Diversity Science Graduate Student Award is meant to recognize, promote, and highlight significant research that explicitly centers on diverse populations where race, culture, language, ethno-religious, or other intersectional identities (i.e., LGBTQIA, disability, first generation) are considered, and that makes exceptional contributions to human development across any stage(s) of the lifespan. Research that is on the cusp of new directions in Diversity Science will be prioritized for this award.