ADR UK grants 20 PhD studentship opportunities focused on quantitative research using linked administrative data

ADR UK is delighted to announce the 20 PhD studentship opportunities to be hosted by supervisors across 13 of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs). These PhD studentships will use ADR UK’s new linked flagship datasets to answer policy-relevant research questions. Students are expected to begin their PhDs in October 2023 and will be funded through an investment of £1.9 million from ADR UK.  

Ranging in topic from education, crime and justice, to the world of work, these new ADR UK-funded PhD studentships will promote the wider use of administrative data for research, leading to better informed policy decisions and more effective public services. In addition, these studentships will also support ESRC DTPs in developing their capacity in priority areas highlighted by the ESRC’s review of the PhD in the social sciences, including data skills and advanced quantitative methods training. 

This investment supports the ADR UK Training and Capacity Building Strategy (2021-2026) to increase the number of researchers able to analyse complex linked administrative datasets. It also complements existing ESRC-funded programmes to grow awareness of and opportunities for using administrative data across the life course of researchers. 

As a cohort, these students will be accessing the full breadth of linked, research-ready administrative datasets available to researchers across the UK, in a supportive and collaborative environment. - Dr Emma Gordon

Application assessments and funding decisions were made by a specially convened, independent expert panel. Funded students will be the responsibility of their university and the DTP to which their university belongs, and will be subject to the same terms and conditions as students funded directly by the ESRC.  

However, this cohort of students will also receive support from ADR UK to ensure they can make the most of this opportunity. ADR UK will facilitate networking between students and supervisors included in this initiative. Where necessary, we will also support successful students in the application process for accessing data and in finding relevant, appropriate and fulfilling placement opportunities. 

Prospective students are encouraged to check their DTP website (linked below) in early 2023 for further information. 

Emma Gordon, Director of ADR UK said: “We are incredibly excited to announce these 20 ADR UK-funded PhD studentships. As a cohort, these students will be accessing the full breadth of linked, research-ready administrative datasets available to researchers across the UK, in a supportive and collaborative environment. We have worked hard with data owners and early users of these datasets to ensure the information and learning structures around how to use these datasets are all in place, so the students have a positive research experience. We look forward to welcoming these students to the ADR UK community, and supporting them through their PhD journey.” 

Professor John Harrington, Director of the Wales DTP said: “We’re pleased to have this opportunity to build on our current strengths in collaboration with ADR Wales and the SAIL Databank at Swansea University, to enhance our capacity in the ESRC Wales DTP for research using administrative data, and look forward to joining this UK-wide cohort.

"Administrative data presents an invaluable opportunity for research that has the potential to improve lives, as researchers on the DTP’s pathway on Data Science Health and Wellbeing have shown over recent years. I’m pleased to see opportunities like the ADR UK-funded PhD studentships, which will help to remove barriers and provide researchers with the skills and resources they need to pursue research using linked administrative data.” 

About the studentships

ESRC DTP	Primary Supervisor	Institution	ADR UK Flagship Datasets
Cambridge Social Science DTP	Dr Sonia Ilie	University of Cambridge (Faculty of Education)	Grading and Admissions Data for England (GRADE)
	Dr Paolo Campana	University of Cambridge (Institute of Criminology)	Data First: Criminal Justice System Linked Datasets
London Interdisciplinary Social Science DTP	Professor Michael Sanders	King’s College London (The Policy Institute)	Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO)  Grading and Admissions Data for England (GRADE)
	Dr Hannah Dickson	King’s College London (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience)	Data First: Ministry of Justice – Department for Education Linked Dataset
LSE DTP	Dr Sara Geneletti Inchauste	London School of Economics (Department of Statistics)	Data First: Criminal Justice System Linked Datasets  Data First: Ministry of Justice – Department for Education Linked Dataset
Midlands Graduate School DTP	Professor Martin Phillips	University of Leicester (School of Geography, Geology and the Environment)	Wage and Employment Dynamics Phase 1
Northern Ireland and North East DTP	Professor Peter McMeekin	Northumbria University (Nursing, Midwifery & Health)	Wage and Employment Dynamics Phase 1
North West Social Science DTP	Professor Alex Singleton	University of Liverpool (School of Environmental Sciences)	Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO)  Wage and Employment Dynamics Phase 1
Scottish Graduate School of Social Science DTP	Professor Susan McVie	University of Edinburgh (School of Law)	Scottish Government: Looked After Children Longitudinal Dataset
	Dr Jasmin Wertz	University of Edinburgh (School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences)	Growing Up in England (GUIE) Dataset
South Coast DTP	Professor Athina Vlachantoni	University of Southampton (Department of Gerontology)	Wage and Employment Dynamics Phase 1
South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS) DTP	Professor Holly Joseph	University of Reading (Institute of Education)	Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO)  Growing Up in England (GUIE) Dataset
South West DTP	Professor George Leckie	University of Bristol (School of Education)	Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO)  Growing Up in England (GUIE) Dataset
	Professor Helen Dodd	University of Exeter (Medical School)	Growing Up in England (GUIE) Dataset
UCL, Bloomsbury and East London DTP	Professor Emla Fitzsimons	University College London (Centre for Longitudinal Studies)	Data First: Ministry of Justice – Department for Education Linked Dataset
	Dr Vasiliki Totsika	University College London (Division of Psychiatry)	Growing Up in England (GUIE) Dataset
Wales DTP	Dr Amy Mizen	Swansea University	Welsh Environmental Dataset
	Professor Sinéad Brophy	Swansea University (Health Data Science)	Data First: Family Court – Cafcass Linked Dataset  Growing Up in England (GUIE) Dataset  Children Looked After Datasets Wales  Scottish Government: Looked After Children Longitudinal Dataset
	Professor Donald Forrester	Cardiff University (School of Social Sciences)	Data First: Criminal Justice System Linked Datasets  Data First: Family Court – Cafcass Linked Dataset  Children Looked After Datasets Wales
White Rose Social Sciences DTP	Professor Peter Wright	University of Sheffield (Department of Economics)	Wage and Employment Dynamics Phase 1