ESRC Society Today

For immediate release - Thursday 24th July 2008

A groundbreaking new research facility is planned to enable unprecedented understanding of how economic, social and biological factors combine to shape human behaviour. The £28.5 million funding comes from the science portfolio of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), and will be used for the study of birth cohorts. The new facility will be a collaboration between the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Birth Cohorts are a set of studies which track a large sample of babies from birth into adulthood, gathering information on their lives as they grow up. These studies have produced a series of important findings which include for example the risks of smoking in pregnancy, childhood asthma and the link with parental occupational exposure to allergens, the origins and consequences of child poverty, and the long-term impacts of education and training. British birth cohort studies are recognised worldwide as unique and remarkable data resources which have underpinned innovative research on the health, wellbeing and socio-economic status of a wide range of people in the UK. 

This pioneering facility will, for the first time, enable the co-ordination of data collection across existing birth cohort studies which span over 60 years. The most significant impact of the facility will be its ability to allow analysis across the generations by comparing patterns of activity, at similar ages, amongst the different cohorts’ members. For example, it will enable the analysis of the latter 20th century/early 21st century phenomenon of women delaying starting a family - what are the social, economic and educational impacts of having older parents compared with earlier generations? As such, it will provide the bedrock for cutting edge research to be undertaken, across the lifecourse, into such important areas as health and poverty. 

The new resource will also expand the series by creating a new cohort to extend the series over a further 12 years. The study will follow a group of newborn infants in 2012 and will be designed to investigate how pre-natal influences, as well as the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, affect human development. 

Speaking about the announcement, Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the ESRC, said, "Obviously, this is tremendous news for the ESRC. The research facility will unlock the potential of the world renowned Birth Cohort Studies and will position the UK at the forefront of pioneering research in the areas of public health, education and social integration of individuals and families. Such information is crucial in enabling policymakers to understand the ever more complex nature of 21st century society in Britain." 

Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, said "Birth cohort studies are a vital tool for increasing our understanding of how our environment and development before and after we are born influence our health and predisposition to diseases in later life. We look forward to working with the ESRC in maximising the potential of these important information resources."

ESRC Press Office Contacts:

• Kelly Barnett (Tel: 01793 413032 - email: Kelly.barnett@esrc.ac.uk)
• Danielle Moore (Tel: 01793 413122 - email: Danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk) 

Notes to editors

1. The Large Facilities Capital Fund provides additional capital to large scale research project. The funding is allocated by DIUS based on the recommendations of individual Research Councils. For a project to qualify for support, it must; cost more than GBP25 million in capital, represent over 10 per cent of the individual Research Council's annual budget, or serve more than one Research Council. The next prioritisation process will begin in 2009.
2. Also today, Research Councils UK (RCUK) is publishing their 2008 Roadmap. The Roadmap provides a comprehensive picture of the major research infrastructures planned and under construction by the UK Research Councils. This includes facilities that Research Councils, and their research communities, have identified as potential emerging opportunities for the future. The Roadmap includes facilities that already receive or could qualify for funding from the Large Facilities Capital Fund (LFCF) administered by DIUS.
3. A number of additional projects have been identified for funding from the LFCF. Decisions on funding will be taken once the projects have been further developed. Announcements will be made in due course.
4. The Birth Cohorts research facility is the second major LFCF project being led by ESRC. The first project, Understanding Society, is a major new household panel study commissioned by the ESRC. It is designed to provide valuable new evidence about the people of the UK, their lives, experiences, behaviours and beliefs, and will enable an unprecedented understanding of diversity within the population. It will be the largest study of its type in the world and will assist with understanding the long term effects of social and economic change, as well as policy interventions designed to impact upon the general well-being of the UK population. 
5. The facility will create a research resource which will enable research issues to be pursued across four major stages of the life-course. These are:
   • Child development;
   • Education, schooling, training and employment;
   • Fertility, family building and changing family structure;
   • Lifestyles, health and ageing 
6. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research, data resources and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research which impacts on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s planned total expenditure in 2008/09 is £203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/
7. The Medical Research Council supports the best scientific research to improve human health. Its work ranges from molecular level science to public health medicine and has led to pioneering discoveries in our understanding of the human body and the diseases which affect us all. More at http://www.mrc.ac.uk/
8. The MRC’s commitment to birth cohort studies began with the National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) which started in 1946 and follows over 5000 men and women born in England, Scotland or Wales in March of that year. Other projects include the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) which has provided insights into childhood development, including autism and childhood obesity. More recently the Southampton Women's Survey, started in 1998, has provided vital information on depression during pregnancy, miscarriage and cot death.