ISSBD Partnerships

The ISSBD–CF-GO (Child and Family Global Outreach) Partnership supports early career scholars, particularly in the Global South, in communicating child development science to parents and caregivers in their own communities. Through a joint webinar series and training resources, the initiative helps researchers turn developmental science into accessible, practical knowledge that can support families worldwide. This collaboration is part of our shared goal to bridge research and everyday caregiving by making evidence-based insights more widely available. Learn more about CF-GO.

The ISSBD–Jacobs Foundation Partnership supports early career scholars from Ghana and Colombia who are part of the LEARN (Leverage, Empower, Advance, Research, Network) network. Funded by the Jacobs Foundation, this initiative builds research capacity through international mentoring, participation in ISSBD workshops and meetings, and opportunities for collaboration in global research-practice-policy networks. As part of the broader LEVANTE project, and in partnership with NYU-Global TIES, the program promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion by connecting scholars from low- and middle-income countries to the global developmental science community.

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The International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), in partnership with the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF), launched the “CARE EVERYWHERE: Understanding and Nourishing the Development of Character Strengths Globally” program in 2024.

The initiative supported research led by ISSBD members aimed at understanding and promoting character strengths across the lifespan while advancing knowledge of both universal and culturally specific expressions of care around the world. The program also sought to strengthen scholars’ capacity to conduct developmentally and culturally sensitive research, while fostering equity, diversity, inclusion, and international collaboration.

Two research teams were awarded two-year grants:

Project 1
Lebanese Adolescents’ Kindness Orientations toward Internally Displaced People: A Post-War Examination of the Role of Parent and Child Traits, Values, and Attitudes
Researchers: Mona Ayoub (American University of Beirut, Lebanon) and Aline Hitti (University of San Francisco, USA)
Mentor: Sonja Perren (University of Konstanz)

Project 2
Socio-Cultural Pathways to Kindness Cultivation Among Thai Adolescents in the Context of Parental Migration
Researchers: Yao Fu (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) and Xu Jiang (Temple University, USA)
Mentor: Tara Callaghan (St. Francis Xavier University)

Both research teams successfully completed their projects and presented their findings at the 28th ISSBD Biennial Meeting in Incheon, South Korea, highlighting the value of international collaboration in advancing developmental science that cares.

Climate Action Statement

ISSBD is partnering with Developmental Scientists for Climate Action (DevSCA) to advance the role of developmental and behavioural science in addressing the global challenges posed by climate change. This collaboration brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to strengthen interdisciplinary research, support capacity building, and translate scientific knowledge into meaningful action across the life span. Read the ISSBD–DevSCA Climate Action Statement here.