The mission of the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS) is to contribute scientific and practical awareness of human capacity and potential across the life course, thereby impacting positively on knowledge, attitudes, policy and practice, internationally.

We employ an integrative framework to underpin and operationalise the Institute’s Mission across the shared interests of our constituent centres and units, so as to explore challenges and issues of mutual concern and to avoid siloed approaches. ILAS has four work strands on research, community engagement, practice and education and policy, which together capture the full nature of the Institute’s work. Across these strands, and often utilising a broad life-course perspective, researchers, academics and professional staff investigate and support the experiences of individuals and groups in six strategic areas.

Advancing beyond state-of-the-art knowledge and collaborative co-production for public good are central to the ILAS approach. Thus, research and community engagement are the priority drivers of ILAS’s work programme and directly inform the other strands, ensuring evidence-based and life-course relevant practice, education and policy.