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The Cognitive Science Society is the professional society for cognitive science researchers. This guide is for researchers, graduate students and research administrators who need to know what membership costs and requires, which awards the Society runs, and how its annual conference and journals fit together. All program details below are as described on the official page on 2026-11-12; the Society can change them, so confirm current terms before you apply or budget.
What it is and who runs it
The Cognitive Science Society states its mission as promoting cognitive science as a discipline. It was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional organization in Massachusetts in 1979, and its first conference was held in La Jolla, California, in August 1979; the conference has been held every year since. For the discipline itself, see our guide to what cognitive science is.
Governance and administration
- The Governing Board has 16 members: 15 elected to staggered six-year terms and one graduate student representative serving a two-year term.
- The President serves three years across a President-Elect, President and Past President sequence.
- Administrative support (the secretariat) is provided by Podium Conference & Association Specialists, based in Seattle.
Journals
The Society’s official journal is Cognitive Science, which began in 1976 and is now published by Wiley-Blackwell. A second journal, topiCS, was founded after a 2006 Governing Board vote.
Eligibility and membership categories
Membership runs on a calendar year (1 January to 31 December) and dues are listed in US dollars. Categories and eligibility wording, as described on the official page on 2026-11-12:
| Category | Dues (USD) | Eligibility as worded by the Society |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | $105 | Active in cognitive science research |
| Early Career | $85 | Terminal degree, with career begun within 3 years |
| Student/Post-Doc | $55 | Students enrolled in any full-time, degree-granting programs |
| Retiree | $35 | Retired members |
| Lifetime | $1,650 | Lifetime membership |
The Society also describes a pay-what-you-can option with a suggested minimum of $15 to cover administrative costs.
What membership includes
- Access to the journals Cognitive Science and topiCS.
- Reduced registration for the annual meeting.
- Reduced journal subscription rates and book discounts.
- Online access to Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
What it funds: the major awards
The Society lists a Rumelhart Prize, Elman Prize, FABBS Early Career Impact Award, Gleitman Prize, Glushko Dissertation Prize, Fellows designations and conference awards. Two of these carry published cash packages that the official pages describe in detail.
| Award | Package | Who qualifies | Nomination materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rumelhart Prize | $125,000, a bronze medal, a certificate and a citation | An individual or a collaborative team making a “significant contemporary contribution” to the theoretical foundations of human cognition | A 3-page statement, a full CV and up to 5 publications; letters are optional |
| Glushko Dissertation Prize | Up to five prizes a year; $15,000 unrestricted, a certificate and three years of complimentary membership | PhD awarded no more than two years before the 19 January deadline; open regardless of nationality or department | CV, dissertation, a precis of at most 4,000 words and two faculty letters, submitted by Google form; self-nomination is welcome |
Glushko winners are expected to attend the conference in person and are announced by May. These awards are prizes recognising completed work, not grants to fund proposed projects, so they are not budgeted or reported the way a sponsored award is; see APA Divisions for how another large psychology body organises its sub-communities.
Application and nomination steps
- Choose the right route: membership is a self-service category selection; the Rumelhart Prize is by nomination; the Glushko prize accepts self-nomination.
- For a prize, assemble every item the official page lists for that award (see the table above).
- Submit within the window the Society publishes for that year’s cycle.
- For membership, pay the dues for the category that matches your status.
Typical timeline phases
- Membership: annual cycle aligned to the calendar year.
- Rumelhart Prize: a nomination window early in the year. The 2026 window ran from 22 January to 23 February 2026; later cycles may differ.
- Glushko Prize: a January deadline, followed by announcement of awardees by May and in-person attendance at the conference.
Common mistakes
- Treating a prize as a research grant. The Rumelhart and Glushko awards honour completed contributions.
- Choosing the wrong membership category: Early Career requires a terminal degree plus a career begun within three years, while Student/Post-Doc is worded for full-time, degree-granting enrolment.
- Relying on an old prize amount quoted by third-party sites instead of the Society’s current page.
- Missing the Glushko eligibility rule that the PhD be no more than two years before the January deadline.
Related programs
| Related CASRAI guide | Why it is relevant |
|---|---|
| What is cognitive science | The discipline the Society represents |
| Society for Neuroscience | Another professional society with an annual meeting |
| APA Divisions | Psychology’s divisional structure |
| AAAI | A society and conference in artificial intelligence |
For proceedings from society meetings, see conference proceedings.
FAQ
What is the Cognitive Science Society?
It is a 501(c)(3) professional organization incorporated in Massachusetts in 1979 to promote cognitive science as a discipline. It runs an annual conference, two journals and a set of awards.
How much does membership cost?
As described on the official page on 2026-11-12, Regular membership is $105, Early Career $85, Student/Post-Doc $55, Retiree $35 and Lifetime $1,650, with a pay-what-you-can option suggested at a minimum of $15.
How big is the Rumelhart Prize?
The official page lists $125,000 plus a bronze medal, certificate and citation.
Can I nominate myself for the Glushko Prize?
Yes. The official page says self-nomination is welcome.
Sources
- Cognitive Science Society, home page: cognitivesciencesociety.org (read 2026-11-12)
- About: cognitivesciencesociety.org/about (read 2026-11-12)
- Membership: cognitivesciencesociety.org/membership (read 2026-11-12)
- Rumelhart Prize: cognitivesciencesociety.org/rumelhart-prize (read 2026-11-12)
- Glushko Dissertation Prize page on the Society site (read 2026-11-12)
