LifeObs

LifeObs, the French Life-Course Observatory, is a research infrastructure that aims to develop a program of innovative longitudinal surveys on family behaviors, increase data dissemination, and train users.

LifeObs, winner of the PIA3 “Structuring equipment for research” program in 2020, is funded over eight years from February 2021.

Seven major nationally representative surveys, covering all stages of the life cycle from childhood to old age, are planned as part of the project. Three of these are part of European research infrastructures: the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP2020), the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and the first European child cohort GUIDE-EuroCohort. The other surveys are conducted at national level: Families survey, Survey on Young Adults Intimate Relationships (ENVIE), Fertility patterns and reproductive health in overseas France, and Families and employers longitudinal survey (FamEmp). Innovations are being developed, notably in data collection methods and the integration of administrative data. To increase the visibility and use of our surveys, both in France and abroad, we plan to translate our documentation into English and disseminate our data on international data platforms. Training tools for the use of these surveys have been designed, and aggregated data will be made available online.

This multi-site observatory is based on national cooperation between key institutions in the field of life-course, family and population studies: Ined (project leader), the universities of Paris Dauphine - PSL, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, Insee and the very large Progedo research infrastructure.

LifeObs receives government funding managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche under the France 2030 plan, reference ANR-21-ESRE-0037.