What is The NxtGen Researcher Training Programme?

NxtGen ( previously The Young Researcher Training Programme ) arose out of the recognition that if we are going to produce meaningful research that will benefit young people, we need young people to tell us what is important to them and to work with us to decide what the research should be, how it should be carried out and how it should be communicated.

For young people to be involved in all aspects of the research process, we wanted to provide a training programme that could be delivered through different organisations; schools, youth groups and self-directed. This training programme has been designed to meet the requirements of the Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

What have our NxtGen cohorts created?

2025

Our 2025 NxtGen research cohort consisted of 16 young people aged 14 to 18 from Southampton, recruited during the autumn term of 2024. We specifically sought applications from care-experienced young people, young carers, neurodiverse young people and those with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), ethnically diverse young people, and those from those from areas of the city facing greater socioeconomic challenges. The result is a diverse and engaged group of young researchers who bring valuablelived experiences and perspectives to our work and their projects which range from physical activity to mental health.

2026

Our NxtGen research cohort consisted of 16 young people aged 15 to 18 from Southampton, recruited during the autumn term of 2025.We specifically sought applications from members of a number of local Youth Clubs, following a research exercise conducted by the NIHR Southampton HDRC. Their projects had a strong theme and focus on mental health, but also explored political education and the opinions of their peers on reading.

What other output have the NxtGen Researchers been apart of?

Shaping Tomorrow: A youth-led call to action

A manifesto was co-created by the spring/summer 2024 NxtGen young researcher cohort and University of Southampton researchers. It comprises of call to action from the researchers who researched health and social care issues affecting their peers and then worked with decision-makers to propose solutions. The manifesto outlines their vision for improving young people’s health and wellbeing, and it includes 12 practical policy recommendations, such as better mental health support, inclusive education, and more youth engagement in decision-making, to make services more responsive to young people’s needs. A video shows the young researchers explaining their policy recommendations was also created. They explain their reasons for choosing the research topics they did, why they are important & what it would mean to them for their policy recommendations to be implemented in the city.

Enabling Environment - Southampton Youth Voice

Co-creating tomorrow. Our City, Our Say

This Southampton Youth Voice report presents a co-designed enabling environment model to support the commissioning of a youth voice service in Southampton. Grounded in the lived experiences of local young people, and developed through the NxtGen Researcher Training Programme.