Funding opportunity: a unique chance to shape data science at the heart of UK government

Please note: this opportunity has now closed.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and ADR UK are now accepting applications for up to four new data science fellows to spend a year collaborating with 10 Downing Street’s data science team (10DS) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is a unique opportunity for impact-driven economists and social scientists to co-design and deliver research to inform decision-making, and help embed the use of linked administrative data to inform policy at the top level of UK government.

Co-designing their projects with 10DS and ONS, the ESRC-ADR UK No.10 Data Science Fellows will use new and existing linked administrative and survey datasets, including those created or made available as a result of the ADR UK programme, to produce analysis to inform policy in priority areas. These may include COVID-19 recovery, the ‘net zero’ climate target, or ‘levelling up’ UK regions.

Examples of datasets successful candidates could use include:

• Linked Ministry of Justice courts and prison data;
• Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data;
• NHS Test and Trace data;
• Business Impact of COVID-19 survey data;
• Census data linked to NHS and other administrative data;
• … and many more.

The growing range of linked, de-identified administrative data being made securely available to accredited researchers is a sign of the increasing recognition within government – driven by ESRC’s ADR UK programme over the past three years – of the value of this data in informing policy decisions and better public service provision.

By becoming ESRC-ADR UK No.10 Data Science Fellows, successful applicants will have the opportunity not just to deliver their own impactful research, but to champion high-quality data science across central government, and may also work with the No.10 Policy Unit, Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit, and other Government Departments in scoping their research projects. This will help further normalise the use of sustainable administrative data infrastructure across government, improving the landscape for future researchers.

Data will be made available to Fellows via the ONS Secure Research Service.

 

Funding

This opportunity is being co-funded by ESRC and ADR UK. Applicants can apply for up to £135,000 Full Economic Cost (fEC), funded at 80% fEC. Funding will last up to 18 months, to cover:

• inception phase for project set-up (three months);
• placement with 10DS and ONS (12 months);
• impact phase (up to three months).

How to apply

To apply, you must:

• have a PhD or equivalent experience;
• be an economic or social science researcher or a researcher working at the intersection between economic and social science disciplines and fields such as computer science, statistics, and applied mathematical modelling; 
• be based at an eligible UKRI research organisation; 
• have relevant quantitative analytical experience.

Pre-existing subject matter expertise is not an essential requirement.

Application is via the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system. For full details and to apply, visit the UKRI Funding Finder.

The application deadline is 16:00 on 2 June 2021.

 

Further details

For full details of this funding call, visit the UKRI Funding Finder. For any queries not answered here you can contact ESRC’s Public Policy and Engagement team, who are managing the call, at ESRCPolicyImpact@esrc.ukri.org.

There is also an applicant webinar taking place at 12.30pm on 28 April 2021, at which attendees will be able to meet the call team and fellowship partners, and ask questions. Register for the webinar on the Eventbrite page.

Applicants not able to attend the webinar are still encouraged to register to automatically receive full content after the event.