BLOG - Major Investment Secures Next Phase of ADR Scotland’s Vital Work Linking Data for Public Good

Unlocking Data Responsibly

Scotland holds a wealth of public sector data that, when accessed responsibly, can drive meaningful insights and policy improvements that significantly impact our lives and livelihoods. ADR Scotland is making administrative datasets more readily linkable and enabling accredited researchers to work safely and securely with data to deliver research that tackles real policy and societal challenges.

With this new investment, ADR Scotland will support a wide range of collaborative, policy-relevant research on critical issues such as Children and Young People, Crime and Justice, Health, Mental Health and Social Care, Housing and Environment, and Work, Welfare and the Economy. Our strategic themes will also consider four cross-cutting areas of: Prevention, Poverty, Equality, and Evaluation.

Strengthening collaborations

ADR Scotland brings together leading administrative data researchers from four Scottish universities through the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR) and experts within the Scottish Government. Our close collaboration with key delivery partners, including Research Data Scotland (RDS), National Records of Scotland (NRS), EPCC, Electronic Data Research and Innovation Service (eDRIS), and Public Health Scotland (PHS), has been crucial to our success. The new UKRI investment will further enhance government, academic and public-sector synergy, ensuring data-driven insights translate into real-world benefits.

Leadership Voices

Chris Dibben, ADR Scotland Co-Director and Professor at the University of Edinburgh noted,

We are delighted to have secured a new phase of investment, building on our Government and research collaboration to deliver benefits to the people of Scotland and the UK. This funding will allow us to expand into new policy areas such as housing and the environment and improve our infrastructure for future research users.”

 Alastair McAlpine, ADR Scotland Co-Director and Chief Statistician for Scotland emphasised,

The work of ADR Scotland is vital in providing high-quality evidence for policy-making. This significant investment opens exciting opportunities for Scotland and the wider UK, unlocking the full potential of administrative data safely and securely for real public benefit.

 Our Goals for the next five years

By the end of this funding period, ADR Scotland aims to:

• Drive Research for Public Good: Our policy-driven research activities, including methodological innovations and causal AI, will significantly impact public sector policy.
• Increase Available Data for Research: By streamlining Scotland’s data infrastructure, we will provide quicker safe access to sustainable datasets, facilitating high-quality, policy-relevant research.
• Improve Research Access and Support: Collaborating with delivery partners, we aim to build capacity, streamline secure data access, and accelerate the approval process.
• Increase Sustainability and Efficiency: We will optimise the Scottish National Safe Haven through operational transformations designed for maximum efficiency, safety and security.
• Maintain Public Trust: Engaging with the public and policymakers will ensure our research and approach remain relevant and beneficial.

Alongside this, we will continue to train researchers and strengthen skills across the sector, increasing the contribution of administrative data research to Scotland’s priorities.

Generating Unique Insights for Public Good

Our work will deepen understanding of health and its social determinants by drawing on comprehensive health and socio-economic data.

Using innovative approaches, we are making Scotland a world leader in administrative data research, generating invaluable insights for the public good.

For more information, visit ADR UK.