Generation New Era

Generation New Era is a new UK-wide birth cohort study aiming to follow the lives of 30,000 children born in 2026, and their families. The first sweep of data collection will take place when the child is 9-10 months old, beginning in late 2026. It will capture information about their economic and social environments, and their health, wellbeing and development.

The 2026 fieldwork follows a first phase of Generation New Era conducted with around 1,900 families with a child born in 2022/2023. Follow-up with these families is not continuing.

Generation New Era is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Latest from Generation New Era

News

CLS to lead first new UK-wide study of child development in a generation

The UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies is to lead the first new UK-wide scientific study of babies in a quarter of a century. Generation New Era study will follow the lives of more than 30,000 babies born in 2026, during their early years, and potentially beyond.

About Generation New Era

Sample design

Generation New Era is a new UK-wide birth cohort study. It aims to follow the lives of around 30,000 children born in 2026, and their families.

A nationally representative sample will be drawn from records of births, with boosts in England and Scotland of individual ethnic groups (Indian, Mixed/Multiple/Other, Black African, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) and low-income area boosts in all countries. Births in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will also be boosted by two to five times their proportional size in the UK.

The first sweep of data collection will take place when the child is 9-10 months old, the second sweep will happen when they are three years old.

Help shape Generation New Era

Developing plans for Generation New Era

CLS is seeking input on plans for Generation New Era. There will be plenty of ways to get involved, including upcoming consultation events. Find out more and register your place.

Directors

Alissa Goodman

Professor of Economics, Director of CLS and Co-Director of Generation New Era

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Lisa Calderwood

Professor of Survey Research, Managing Director of CLS, Director of GUIDE and Co-Director of Generation New Era

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Pasco Fearon

UCL Chair in Developmental Psychopathology and Co-Director of Generation New Era

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Study Country Leads

Lucy Griffiths

Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology, Swansea University Medical School, and Generation New Era Study Country Lead for Wales

Orla McBride

Reader in the School of Psychology, Ulster University, and Generation New Era Study Country Lead for Northern Ireland

Rebecca Reynolds

Dean International, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Generation New Era Study Country Lead for Scotland