Project description
A new model to support every child’s skill
Early life skills are essential in achieving success throughout life. Unfortunately, current models used to measure early-life development are not well-rounded, failing to account for varied contexts. As such, there is a need for new development frameworks that consider all possible situations and help to maximise every individual’s potential. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MAPS-Child project will focus on creating a model encompassing cognitive, socioemotional and physical competency development. The model will analyse commonalities and predictors within each aspect as well as the effects of chronic stress on development. The study will make use of longitudinal studies, aiming to include 10 000 children between 2 and 12 years old from different countries.
Objective
Early childhood ability is a crucial predictor of lifelong outcomes. Despite its importance, we lack frameworks to ensure every child gets the best start in life. Existing models of child development are fragmented, often focusing on isolated skills (e.g. language) rather than considering the full range of abilities children acquire in childhood. Additionally, these models rely heavily on WEIRD samples, limiting global relevance. As a result, they overlook the interconnected development of skills and fail to represent the diverse experiences of children worldwide. To support every child’s potential, we must adopt more holistic and inclusive models of development. MAPS-Child will deliver such a model by integrating cognitive, socioemotional, and motor skill development into a unified framework. It has two objectives: (1) to uncover the shared dimensional structure of developmental change across domains; and (2) to identify cross-domain predictors and dependencies in developmental trajectories. Exposure to adversity (prolonged, intense stress) will serve as a moderator, showing how it reshapes developmental pathways. The project leverages two cutting-edge longitudinal studies: YOUth (n=4,000), a Dutch cohort (pregnancy to adulthood), and LEVANTE (n=10,000 projected), a multi-country study of variability in children (ages 2–12). Advanced psychometric and longitudinal modelling will capture the dynamic, interdependent architecture of skills. A two-step design maximises discovery and replication: YOUth will identify developmental structures in a socioeconomically diverse EU context, and LEVANTE will test their generalisability across more diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic contexts. By utilising rich longitudinal data and state-of-the-art modelling, MAPS-Child will generate the most comprehensive and globally valid account of child development to date. These insights will drive equitable, targeted strategies to promote healthy development for all children.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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6525 GA Nijmegen
Netherlands
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