International Youth Day is an occasion meant to highlight issues faced by young people across the world. It also celebrates the role of young people in achieving progress towards a more sustainable future. In 2026, the day has a special focus on young people living in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Living in these areas can create experiences of poverty, climate change, geographic isolation, limited economic opportunities, and unequal access to digital technologies. However, young people in these areas can display incredible resilience, leadership and innovation.

Here, we have compiled open Calls for Papers on research relating to young people from across Scientific Reports and Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. Explore publications within these Collections and submit your own research!

Collections

Health and well-being among university students

This Scientific Reports Collection welcomes original research on health and well-being among university students, from studies examining the scale of the problem to interventions to improve health and well-being in this population.

Physical fitness and activity in children and adolescents

This Scientific Reports Collection welcomes research that aims to characterise developmental patterns of physical activity, identify determinants of fitness across growth stages, and evaluate interventions targeting sedentary behaviour and structured exercise.

Genetic and environmental determinants of early childhood autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions

This Scientific Reports Collection welcomes original research on early childhood autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions, and how they might result from complex interactions among genetic, environmental, nutritional, and societal factors.

Food addiction and mental health in adolescence

This Scientific Reports Collection welcomes original research on the biological, psychological, social, and environmental determinants of food addiction and associated mental health disorders in adolescents. Studies on risk factors, as well as the development and evaluation of preventive and therapeutic interventions, are also encouraged.

Literacy development across age groups 

This Humanities and Social Sciences Communications Collection invites scholarship that examines literacy development as a dynamic, age‑spanning phenomenon.

Children, teenagers and social media

This Humanities and Social Sciences Communications Collection invites contributions that critically explore the relationships between children, teenagers and social media, with particular attention to how digital platforms intersect with broader cultural norms, social inequalities, global regulatory shifts, and generational identities.