Elizabeth Bates (1947 -- December 13, 2003) was professor of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego.

Bates was a founding member of the UCSD department of Cognitive Science, the first such department in the United States. She was also the director of the UCSD Center of Research in Language and the co-director of the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communication Disorders.

Well known for her pioneering research into child development and language acquistion, she authoured 10 books and more than 200 scientific articles.

Professor Bates died, aged 56, after a yearlong battle against pancreatic cancer. Being well regarded for her commitment to students, the Elizabeth Bates Graduate Research Fund was established to assist graduate students' research.