NEWS - ADR Scotland have been awarded £25 million to deliver collaborative, policy relevant data research

The investment promises to transform data linkage research, driving significant progress towards Scotland's National Outcomes and answering key questions about health, education, justice, and social equality.

Research from ADR Scotland to date has provided insights into educational exclusion and absences; in partnership with Police Scotland explored policing mental health distress and an ongoing project is focused on the social and health outcomes of veterans. This investment will allow ADR Scotland to expand its work, strengthen collaborations between government, academia and the public sector, and ensure that insights from data are translated into real-world impact.

Scottish Government, Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee said,

I am pleased that the innovative work carried out by ADR Scotland will continue to provide data-driven insights on the complexities we face as a nation. The Scottish Government remains a committed partner in ADR Scotland, recognising the power of data to shape more informed, effective policy. We will continue working closely with academic and public sector colleagues to ensure that research is aligned with Scotland’s priorities and delivers meaningful impact.

Speaking of the investment, ADR Scotland Co-Director and Chief Statistician for Scotland Alastair McAlpine, said

The work of ADR Scotland is vital to provide high quality evidence in policy making using our wealth of data. The work of ADR improves specialist researcher access to this data, upholds secure and ethical standards and ensures public confidence is maintained. This significant investment opens up exciting opportunities for Scotland and the wider UK. It strengthens our ability to collaborate across governments, sectors and disciplines, unlocking the full potential of administrative data to deliver real public benefit.

Championing the power data linkage research, ADR Scotland Co-Director and University of Edinburgh Professor Chris Dibben remarked

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.”

More information on the ADR UK investment can be found here.