The Global Parenting Initiative (GPI) is strengthening the next generation of researchers through its Future Leaders Programme, in which researchers work to improve research outcomes that support children and families worldwide.
Since the launch of this programme, GPI has supported more than 100 Future Leaders through its capacity-sharing programme. By the end of 2025, the programme comprised 83 active participants, with 80% based in the Global South. The cohort included Playful Parenting Scholars, Fellows and Professionals, representing a diverse community of emerging leaders contributing to research, implementation, policy and programme delivery across the GPI network.
Throughout 2025, participants took part in a structured training programme designed to equip them with the skills needed to lead impactful research and implementation. Across ten interactive sessions, Future Leaders explored four interconnected themes: research impact and innovation, personal and professional growth, core research and academic skills, and leadership for social change and applied practice. Sessions covered topics such as policy and media engagement, implementation pathways, innovation, grant writing, and team management, with learning grounded in real-world examples from active GPI studies.
Recognising the importance of supporting early-career researchers to secure independent funding, GPI also delivered a dedicated grant-writing series. Thirteen applications were submitted for competitive pump-priming funding, with six Future Leaders awarded grants of US$3,000–5,000 to support early-stage research activities, including stakeholder consultations, piloting new methods and in-country scoping work. These awards provide an important stepping stone towards larger external research grants.
In 2025, Future Leaders delivered 35 conference presentations, 10 GPI webinar presentations, and eight first-author peer-reviewed publications, five of which were led by researchers based in the Global South. Participants also celebrated significant career milestones, including completing postgraduate degrees, defending doctoral theses, securing postdoctoral positions, receiving research awards, and taking on leadership roles within their institutions and international networks.
Thirty Global South Future Leaders participated in the LeadMe Leadership Programme, where they strengthened practical leadership skills in communication, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and leading teams through complexity and change. Participant reflections highlighted a shift towards more reflective, people-centred leadership, while programme coaches observed stronger listening skills, clearer communication, and greater confidence in leading collaborative teams.
The growing influence of GPI’s Future Leaders was also recognised internationally. In 2025, Saara Thakur (GPI’s Scale Up Lead) and Genevieve Haupt Ronnie (GPI’s Community of Practice Lead) were elected to the Distinguished Advisory Council of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN), where they will contribute to advancing global efforts to prevent violence against children while bringing GPI’s evidence and implementation learning to international policy discussions.
As GPI enters its final programme year, investment in Future Leaders continues to strengthen the global parenting community by fostering collaboration, building leadership capacity, and supporting emerging researchers to translate evidence into action.