Improving Children's Life Chances in High-Risk, Low-Income Settings

This project entails the design of a "new generation" longitudinal cohort study, implemented in low and middle-income countries. The aim is to increase significantly understanding of child development and what can be done at different developmental stages to mitigate adverse environmental factors, many of which are triggered by poverty, including poor nutrition and stimulation and stress. The design will draw on experts from multiple disciplines in the field of child development, longitudinal and evaluation research, and economic development, building on experience in data collection and intervention design in low-income settings, and innovations related to both measurement and interventions. The project will i) articulate the features of the new cohort study, ii) provide a menu of possible interventions to be embedded, iii) develop, pilot and validate measurement tools, and iv) articulate the research agenda made possible through the new cohort study, allowing for the generation of fundamental knowledge on the process of child development in low-income, high-risk contexts, key to designing sustainable and effective policies.