Call for expressions of interest: Research-ready data and access funding

Please note: this opportunity has now closed.

Today (22 April 2021), we are launching a call for expressions of interest for funding to support the development of new linked datasets and the better use of existing linked data for research that addresses major societal challenges in England.

During 2019 and 2020, ADR UK supported invitation-only bids to build new research datasets and carry out innovative research of importance to key public policy areas. Early engagement with Government data owners covering crime and justice, education, health and the economy initiated a flow of new research-ready datasets and subsequent research into these fields, with huge potential for public good.

With the launch of ADR England, the time is ripe to provide additional funding to support both the development of new linked datasets and the better use of existing linked data for research in the public interest.

This funding call directly supports ADR England’s strategic goals which include:

• A research-ready data building programme which enhances, enriches and makes administrative data more accessible for public good;
• A substantial increase in cross-cutting research that enhances bodies of knowledge for public good.

This call is intended to encourage innovative and creative linkages and access to linked data to drive research to new places, underpinned by academic expertise and collaborations across sectors and policy boundaries. Opportunities to be awarded funds through this call will not be limited by theme or discipline as long as proposals meet the eligibility criteria provided in the call documentation.

Please note: research without the creation or improvement of research-ready data is not in scope of this fund.

Funding details

Funds are available between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2026, with the total fund being in the region of £6 million. This is in addition to the ADR UK funded expertise and resource available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Secure Research Service to deliver data acquisition and curation.

There are deliberately no upper or lower limits to individual awards that will be made as a result of this call. However, as ADR UK wishes to build a portfolio of projects funded through this mechanism over the next five years, we anticipate allocating funds to a number of different sized projects that can be delivered in time for the data to be made accessible to external researchers within the next five years.

We are accepting expressions of interest until 17 September 2021.

Eligibility

The Research-Ready Data and Access Fund is invitation-only following this Expressions of Interest stage and is not an open competition. Expressions of interest are invited from teams led by either UK academia or national government, which can include involvement from others such as third sector and public sector organisations, including What Works Centres and ONS.

If a proposal is led by a government partner, it must still feature academic involvement and expertise. In particular, we welcome collaborations between organisations and partnerships that can draw out insight from UKRI or other related investments or data linkage programmes.

Read the Call for Expressions of Interest document to find out more about this opportunity and how to apply.