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For researchers & collaborators

ORIGINS provides a cost-effective research enabling platform for those looking to conduct research in child and family health.

The 10,000 families in the ORIGINS cohort are generally representative of Australia's population of young families. 

Through its globally unique infrastructure, ORIGINS enables scientists to develop nested "sub-projects" within the cohort, which deliver innovative, accelerated, real-world research outcomes that improve the health and wellbeing of families now and for generations to come. 

Unlike other WA cohort studies, ORIGINS captures detailed data across multiple timepoints, offering a more complete understanding of the early-life impacts on long-term health - enabling researchers to examine the complex interplay between biological, environmental, and social factors over time. 

To date, the ORIGINS Biobank has over 400,000 biological samples collected from participants since conception, with the Databank housing over 30 million data points on the 10,000 strong cohort. 

Researcher access opportunities within ORIGINS

  • Use of cohort, to implement a new clinical trial, intervention, or observational study
  • Use of cohort, to collect new data (biological information, and/or participant information)
  • Use of existing data (biological information, and/or participant information)
  • Data linkage

Enabling cost-effective research

ORIGINS' established cohort infrastrucutre provides a cost-effective framework for researchers to conduct observational and interventional studies and nested clinical trials. 

Researchers conducting sub-projects within ORIGINS: 

  • Eliminate participant recruitment costs via access to a readily available cohort
  • Eliminate costs associated with data and biological sample collection via access to detailed longitudinal family demographics, biological samples, questionnaire data, and linked health records 
  • Eliminate overhead costs via benefits received from proven systems, a skilled team, and nationally recognised world-class facilities

A recent review of five ORIGINS sub-projects found that using ORIGINS to embed their research cut project duration by 50%, data collection costs by 95%, and overall project costs by 68%.

These efficiencies lead to earlier delivery of research benefits to the community, and the lower costs and shorter timelines associated with embedding research within ORIGINS assisted in their research qualifying for funding.

ORIGINS' research translation priorities

Key priorities for families with children aged seven to nine were indentified in 2025 during a comprehensive strategic review in consultation with ORIGINS stakeholders and participants. 

ORIGINS encourages interventional project proposals within the following domains to improve the health, education or development of families to ensure all children flourish throughout life. 

Mental Health & Wellbeing

  • Anxiety 
  • Peer relationships
  • Emotional wellbeing 

Lifestyle Behaviours 

  • Health technology use
  • Promoting healthy weight, healthy eating, and appropriate physical activity 

Development

  • Cognitive development including literacy and language
  • Physical development 

Other

  • Other innovative interventions that reduce risk and promote protective factors in new and novel ways within ORIGINS' sub-project research domains. 

Learn more about submitting a research proposal for a sub-project here.