Two-million dollars a year for a pair of long-term Otago University birth-cohort studies

The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study -- and the Christchurch Health and Development Study -- will receive the payment for seven years.

They've followed thousands of babies from birth over the past half a century.

Its data was recently featured in an episode of The Kardashians.

Dunedin Study Director, Moana Theodore says the funding's for research which has a proven benefit to New Zealand.

She says the data brings insights to health, the environment, and social issues.