ADR UK Annual Report 2021-22

In our fourth year, we have undertaken a wide variety of projects in support of our mission. Following the successful completion of our pilot phase in 2021, we have set out ambitious plans across the partnership to bridge the gap between government and academia. Read our 2021-22 Annual Report to find out more.

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Our mission

ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK)’s mission is to transform the way researchers access the UK’s wealth of public sector data. By joining up the abundance of administrative data already being created by government and public bodies across the UK, and facilitating safe and secure access to this data for approved researchers, ADR UK is creating a sustainable resource that will provide valuable insights into how our society and economy function. This approach is tailored to give decision makers the answers they need to solve important policy questions, driving change that has the potential to improve lives across the UK.

Our vision

ADR UK’s vision for 2026 is to be the default choice to host linked administrative data from across the entirety of UK and devolved government, making it accessible to a deep pool of trained researchers to generate insights routinely used to inform policy and practice.

Our impact

As an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) investment, ADR UK adopts the definition of impact used by ESRC and across UK Research and Innovation as a whole:

“Impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy.”

This includes informing changes to government policy and public service provision that lead to better social and economic outcomes for people and communities. This impact can be at any geographic level: from the local, to the national and international.

Across ADR UK, our partners have a range of strategies to maximise impact across our ‘Five Ps’: process, policy, practice, people and potential. Common approaches include:

• partnering with government
• engaging with stakeholders, communities and the public
• making datasets available for further use by accredited researchers
• aligning with national strategies and departmental Areas of Research Interest
• dual publication in formats that are easily digestible and usable by different stakeholders
• the public interest test, with research projects approved by the UK Statistics Authority’s Research Accreditation Panel. This is fundamental to enabling research that has a positive impact on people’s lives.

Case studies demonstrating the impact of ADR UK projects are included in this report.