Cambridge is to co-lead a new UK-wide scientific study that will follow the lives of 30,000 children born in 2026, helping provide evidence to improve the lives of future generations.
In the past decade, unprecedented social, technological, political and economic events have taken place that have changed the landscape for families raising children dramatically
Pasco Fearon
The £42.8 million Generation New Era birth cohort study will create a comprehensive picture of early childhood development in all four nations of the UK.
Funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), this is the first new UK-wide longitudinal birth cohort study in 25 years and comes as the government publishes its Giving every child the best start in life policy paper.
Generation New Era will collect data at two key developmental stages - between 9-11 months and again at 3-4 years - providing crucial insights before children enter formal education. The research will examine physical, mental and social development, and explore how technological, environmental and social changes affect early childhood experiences. The intention is that the initiative will track these children and their families throughout their lives.
Generation New Era will be led jointly by Co-Directors Professor Pasco Fearon of the University of Cambridge and Professors Alissa Goodman and Lisa Calderwood of UCL.
Professor Fearon, Director of the Centre for Child, Adolescent and Family Research at Cambridge, said: "Children's lives have changed dramatically since the last UK birth cohort study was launched at the turn of the century. In the past decade, unprecedented social, technological, political and economic events have taken place that have changed the landscape for families raising children dramatically.
"New UK-wide data are needed urgently to help us understand how these changes impact children as they grow up, and there will be new opportunities and challenges for families coming down the line, like AI, that a study like this can help us to better understand."
As a four-nations cohort study, the study team will benefit from the expertise of senior academics based at the universities of Swansea, Ulster, and Edinburgh, who will serve as the study's leads in their countries.
It will invite over 60,000 children and their families from across the UK with the aim of recruiting 30,000 to participate in the project. There will be a particular focus on recruiting fathers as well as mothers and including groups previously underrepresented in population research, giving a voice to as many communities in UK society as possible
This comprehensive approach will ensure the findings are representative of the diverse experiences of families across the country and that comparisons can be made to help all areas of the UK to learn what works best to improve lives and livelihoods.
The findings generated by the study will directly inform policy development across government departments, helping to ensure services and support for families are based on robust evidence.
Professor Alissa Goodman from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies said: "Generation New Era is a landmark scientific endeavour which will improve the lives of children and benefit science and society for many years to come.
"As the government works to give every child the best start in life, the study can help shape vital policies and services for babies and parents across the UK. Thanks to the commitment of our participants, we can support the health and development of this generation - and help future generations thrive."
Generation New Era is part of a long tradition of research council-funded UK longitudinal birth cohort studies which have followed the lives of tens of thousands of people over the past eight decades.
ESRC executive chair Stian Westlake said: "I am excited to see what Generation New Era will discover about the lives of children born next year and how they differ across the UK. The evidence this study produces can underpin policy that makes the UK a happier, healthier and fairer place, improving lives and livelihoods. It is an investment in the future that we are proud to make."
The study will begin inviting families to take part in the study from summer 2026.
Adapted from a press release from the ESRC
