This in-person consultation event brought together researchers, third sector organisations and policymakers across the UK on plans for a new nationwide birth cohort study – Generation New Era.  

About Generation New Era

Formerly referred to as the Early Life Cohort, Generation New Era will follow a cohort of around 30,000 babies born in 2026. It is the first study of its kind in 25 years.

This groundbreaking study will capture valuable information about different aspects of children’s lives in their early years and beyond. With a target wave 1 sample size in Northern Ireland of 4,200 babies, the study is designed to ensure there will be enough power to address research questions specific to Northern Ireland, now and in the future.

Generation New Era’s design will aim to maximise the participation of seldom-heard families. The study sample will have boosts for babies born into disadvantaged and ethnic minority families, and boosts of babies born in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The study will also seek to engage as many fathers as possible in the study as well as mothers, including parents living all or most of the time in a different household to their child.

The consultation in Belfast helped ensure the study meets the needs of data and evidence users everywhere.

About the event

The consultation event was co-hosted by Dr Orla McBride from Ulster University and the study Co-Directors Professors Alissa Goodman, Lisa Calderwood and Pasco Fearon. After an introductory presentation, participants joined three rounds of small group parallel sessions, where they discussed key measurement priorities in the following topic areas:

• children’s cognitive, social and emotional development
• parents’ mental and physical health
• children’s physical health (including growth, nutrition and sleep)
• infant-parent relationships and early home environment
• social, environmental and neighbourhood influences on children’s development and health
• inequality, disadvantage, diversity and context.

Cross-cutting themes and plenary sessions also focused on inclusivity, involving fathers and seldom-heard families and strategies for engagement and retention. 

Thank you to those who contributed

This event was an opportunity for data and evidence users to find out more about our ideas for the new study and to help us refine our plans.  

Their contributions to this consultation will inform the final decisions we make about the study and the data we collect in the first sweep, at age 9 months, as well as the longer-term strategy for longitudinal measurement.

Other ways to contribute

Find out more about how to get involved on our Help shape Generation New Era page and join our mailing list to hear more about these opportunities.