Kick-off for Research Project FReDA • 20.01.202012.5 Million Euros Provided by the Federal Government for New Data Infrastructure on Family and Demography

Source: Orbon Alija via Getty Images

Why do some couples decide to have children and others do not? Why are so few children born in Germany? What are the changes in family forms and the division of tasks in the relationship? And what does this mean for child-rearing, health or the solidarity between generations? In order to find answers to these and other questions concerning the understanding of family and demographic development, research based on solid data and innovative methods is indispensable.

FReDA – The German family demography panel pursues the goal of significantly improving and ensuring the long-term sustainability of research in Germany on changes in family and population development. The study focuses on annual surveys among women and men in the family formation phase, i.e. between the ages of 18 and 49. The survey consists of modules, with regularly provided space for questions that other researchers are invited to submit.

Findings allow international comparisons

Federal minister of research Anja Karliczek: “It is the most beautiful thing when couples in Germany decide to have children. To be able to provide targeted support for families, we need to know how attitudes towards family and children are changing. It is worthwhile to investigate this in depth. The surveys are required to also ensure international comparability so that countries can learn from each other. I am already anxious to see the results that the new data infrastructure for family and generation research will deliver. It is designed in such a manner that it will always take up new research questions and thus always remain up to date.”

Basis for scientific policy advice

The Director of the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), Prof. Norbert F. Schneider, emphasizes in particular the importance for scientific research: “With this project, together with our partners, we are generating solid data that we do not yet have available in this form for Germany. This will enable us to gain a much better understanding of the family formation phase in the future. Research and politics both require such large-scale data infrastructures.”

A key task of the BiB in this project is to prepare the findings for ministries and political decision-makers. Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer points out the necessity of scientific research as a basis for political decisions: “If we want to support families in the best possible way with our policies, we have to know their specific needs well. We want to develop targeted political strategies and support families in their tasks. Research in this area is essential for an effective implementation of our demographic strategy. That's why we support it.”

Use of data free of charge

The data collection on the basis of a representative sample is particularly innovative through the combination of classical and web-based survey tools. The method is intended to better address the young target group, increase representativeness and reduce costs at the same time. Survey design and survey content are also coordinated with research institutions from other countries, which makes international comparisons possible. Partners in this data infrastructure are the BiB, the Leibniz Institute for Social Sciences GESIS and the University of Cologne. The consortium will make the collected data available to science, the public and politics free of charge.

Handover of the funding notification in Mannheim (from left to right): Prof. Christof Wolf (GESIS), Dr. Michael Meister (BMBF), Dr. Martin Bujard (BiB) and Prof. Karsten Hank (Universität zu Köln). Source: GESIS

The BMBF and the BMI are jointly funding the major scientific project FReDA. At a kick-off event at GESIS in Mannheim on 20 January 2020, the BMBF State Secretary Dr. Michael Meister handed over the funding notification. The BMBF will provide start-up financing of 12.5 million euros until 2024. If the evaluation is positive, the BMI will ensure that the funding is continued.