PhD students now eligible to apply for access to ECHILD data
Categories: Research using linked data, Datasets, ADR England, Office for National Statistics, Children, young people & education, Health & wellbeing
4 August 2026
PhD students who are accredited researchers can now apply for access to the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) dataset, expanding opportunities for early-career researchers to undertake research using linked administrative data.
From July 2026, eligibility for ECHILD access has been extended beyond substantive employees of UK universities and research institutions to include PhD students, provided they hold accredited researcher status and are supervised by a fully accredited substantive employee within a UK institution.
The change aims to support the next generation of researchers by enabling doctoral students to develop and lead research projects using ECHILD data, while maintaining the robust security arrangements that underpin safe and responsible access to the dataset.
The supervising researcher will remain responsible for the project and ensuring compliance with all standard data access and governance requirements. This includes obtaining relevant approvals and complying with the policies governing use of ECHILD data within the Secure Research Service.
Training opportunity for new ECHILD researchers
Researchers interested in applying for access to ECHILD are encouraged to attend the upcoming Introduction to the ECHILD Database training course, taking place on 28–29 September 2026 in London.
The course will introduce the ECHILD resource, including its content, structure, governance arrangements and potential research applications. It will be particularly useful for PhD students interested in using ECHILD as part of their doctoral research.
About ECHILD
ECHILD brings together linked education, health and social care records for around 21 million children and young people in England. It was created through a partnership between ADR England, University College London, the Department for Education, NHS England and the Office for National Statistics.
The dataset links information from the National Pupil Database with healthcare records, including hospital, maternity, mental health and community services data. Researchers use ECHILD to better understand the relationship between children’s health and education, including how health affects educational outcomes and how education influences children’s health.
