Researchers to pilot long-term birth cohort study in the UK

ESRC-funded project aims to address “pressing need for data collection on the next generation”

Researchers in the UK are set to pilot plans for a longitudinal research study that will follow babies born in the 2020s over several decades to understand how they are affected by circumstances and events.

A £3 million investment made by the Economic and Social Research Council will allow researchers to develop a two-year-long birth cohort feasibility study to develop and test the design, methodology and viability of a longer-term project. The pilot is expected to take place between 2021 and 2023.