PERU has coordinated a series of projects funded by the European Commission, to develop what will be the largest social science infrastructure in Europe. This infrastructure, known as GUIDE (Growing up in Digital Europe: Eurocohort) will be the first comparative birth cohort survey, providing high quality longitudinal data to policymakers on the development of children’s wellbeing, from birth to aged 24 years. The work is ongoing, but the quality and importance of the work PERU is doing has been recognised: GUIDE has been included in the ESFRI Roadmap 2021.

The first phase of GUIDE, Measuring Youth Well-Being (MYWEB), explored the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal survey that would capture the growing-up process, starting from birth and running until the end of the child’s education. As a result of this, Pollock et al. published the book Measuring Youth Well-Being. MYWEB is described as a ‘notable project’ in the book The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Taking Stock after 25 Years and Looking Ahead. In addition to academic publications and books, the project is referenced in the Toolkit for Schools and Colleges, by Public Health England.

The European Cohort Development Project built on the results of MYWEB by creating the infrastructure for GUIDE. COORDINATE, the most recent project, builds on the work done by both of the previous projects, with an aim to initiate the community of researchers and organisations that will drive the development of the survey. It is projected to be completed in 2025.

In addition to GUIDE, PERU also led the MiCREATE project: Migrant Children and Communities in a Transforming Europe. Also funded by the European Commission, the project adopts a child-centred approach to migrant children integration on an educational and policy level. The outcomes were presented at an online conference, and are also part of a European Toolkit for Schools, including a digital storytelling application and ‘Multiculurality in schools’, an app to raise awareness of ethnic diversity.

PERU worked on the MYPLACE project (Memory, Youth, Political Legacy and Civic Engagement). The aim of the project was to map the relationship between political heritage, current levels and forms of civic and political engagement of young people in Europe, and their potential receptivity to radical and populist political agendas. The impact of this for researchers included a number of published books and journal articles, research reports and the survey data set. For policymakers and practitioners, policy briefs, National policy publications and thematic reports were produced. In terms of the wider audience, MYPLACE research has contributed to public debate, including notably through two BBC Radio 4 Thinking Allowed shows (Weather forecasting, Young people and politics; The English Defence League; ‘Real’ immigrants).