Service updates
Advance warning of SRS downtime for essential maintenance
We provided advance notice in August of the upcoming SRS downtime planned for two weeks' time.
To further support the ongoing improvement of the SRS infrastructure, major server upgrade work will be carried out on the SRS on Thursday 5 October and Friday 6 October.
On these dates the SRS will be unavailable to all users with no analysis or other sessions possible.
If you have any questions, please contact SRS Customer Support.
Monthly maintenance
The SRS will be unavailable for use on Saturday 30 September between 07:00 and 11:00 for monthly maintenance.
Output clearances
We are aware that some users are experiencing longer turnaround times for output clearances, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
We notified users in May’s newsletter to allow at least 10 working days while demand on the service remains very high. Please continue to allow as much time as possible for your request to be cleared.
The primary purpose of the SRS is to support the publication of research outputs to serve the public interest, with results made available in an open and accessible way.
We are currently prioritising publication ready outputs and code clearances. We will continue to facilitate the safe clearance of ‘pre-publication’ requests, however, where these consist of high volumes of data files and non-publication ready material, we will not be able to commit to a 10-day turnaround.
Please consider whether a pre-publication output clearance request is necessary and ensure that the output is as close as possible to what you will be publishing.
Contact statistical.support@ons.gov.uk for further information.
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News from the Integrated Data Service (IDS)
Digital Economy Act (DEA) Accreditation
We are pleased to share with you that as of this month the IDS has achieved accreditation under the Digital Economy Act (2017). This builds on the knowledge and lessons learned from the long-established SRS.
This milestone is a key step forward in achieving the IDS vision of bringing together ready-to-use data for the public good, by demonstrating the confidence that the UK Statistics Authority has in the security and the data on the IDS.
Applying for DEA accreditation is a rigorous process, requiring the submission of detailed evidence which is scrutinised by members of the Research Accreditation Panel (RAP). Successful accreditation under the DEA provides formal recognition that the IDS is a safe and secure data processing platform, compliant with the five safes of secure data, and allows it to operate as a cloud-native Trusted Research Environment.
Update on the transition from the Secure Research Service to the Integrated Data Service
Work to replan the SRS to IDS transition based on the updated approach is ongoing, and there is still no action required from users at this stage. We will continue to keep users updated and would like to hold another event to provide further details before the end of the year.
Information now available on the ONS website
In the meantime, we have completed an update on the ONS website to further support SRS users, and to ensure self-serve where possible. These pages will provide up-to-date information on the SRS to IDS transition and will be updated on a regular basis.
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New datasets available in the SRS
Environmental Protection Expenditure (EPE) Survey - UK
The dataset contains the microdata used to produce the published EPE Survey 2021 estimates. It also includes revised data for operating and capital environmental protection expenditure, as well as profits made from disposal of environmental protection capital assets.
Nursing and Midwifery Council Register (NMCR) - UK
The datasets are a snapshot of the registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates on the NMCR each year as of 31 March. The NMC creates these snapshots on an annual basis to report on the changes of professionals on its register.
Case Study of the Month
Covid-19 Schools Infection Survey
The Covid-19 Schools Infection Survey (SIS) was implemented and delivered at pace in Autumn 2020 in England in response to the government’s need for data about the pandemic. The survey assessed SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission within school settings. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal research studies undertaken globally in primary and secondary schools during the pandemic.
The Covid-19 SIS informed government strategies to keep schools open safely during the earlier parts of the pandemic and reduce the collateral impact of school closures on educational attainment. It also informed vaccine recommendations, and the later decisions to re-open schools.
 Events
Research Excellence Series
Thursday 19 October, 11:00-12:00
We are pleased to welcome Machi Tseloni from Nottingham Trent University and Georgina Eaton from the Ministry of Justice to provide a virtual presentation on 'An exploratory analysis of returning defendants and the potential of linked criminal courts', which received the ONS Linked Administrative Data Award at the 2022 ONS Research Excellence Awards.
ADR UK Conference 2023
Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 November 2023
 Last few tickets remaining
The last few tickets for the ADR UK Conference 2023 are still available for purchase. More than 95% have already been sold, so ensure you secure your ticket to avoid disappointment.
Head to the ADR UK Conference 2023 website to view the programme, and follow us on Twitter (X) to stay updated: @ADRUK2023
All abstracts now published on IJPDS
ADR UK Conference Proceedings 2023 is now published. The fantastic abstracts for 'Public Data for Resilience and Inclusion' are all available via open access in the International Journal of Population Data Science (IJPDS). These abstracts will be presented at the ADR UK Conference 2023.
Keynote speakers
Interviews with three of the keynote speakers have been published on the ADR UK website. Hear from Rohini Mathur, Ed Humpherson, and Peter Mackie and look out for the final blog with Professor Marion Oswald MBE coming soon.
News from our partners
ADR UK
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ADR UK Annual Report 2022 – 2023
ADR UK is delighted to share the ADR UK Annual Report 2022 – 2023. The report highlights a year of progress across the partnership in support of their mission.
This year ADR UK have engaged with a range of public and professional stakeholders to enrich their understanding, worked to make more linked datasets available for accredited research, and supported the development of policy-relevant insights to improve lives.
For the first time, they have published this year’s annual report as a digital microsite, so you can explore the different areas of activity at your own pace.
Learning Hub and Flagship Datasets
As part of an ongoing commitment to support more researchers to understand, access, and use administrative data, ADR UK has published two significant website updates. The ADR UK Flagship Datasets pages showcase a selection of datasets that will have wide appeal. Meanwhile, a new ADR UK Learning Hub aims to equip researchers at all career stages, as well as wider audiences, with the knowledge, skills, and resources to get started with using administrative data.
ADR UK monthly newsletter - new and improved
ADR UK have published the first edition of their monthly newsletter series, featuring refreshed designs and content. Sign up to the mailing list to keep informed on news and developments across the partnership.
Funding opportunities
ADR UK Research Fellowships using ADR England flagship datasets
ADR UK is inviting applications for funding to conduct policy-relevant research using ADR England flagship datasets. Recordings of applicant webinars relating to this funding opportunity are available on the ADR UK website. These cover the application process and expectations, details and research priorities for some of the datasets, and how to write a successful fellowship application.
The deadline to apply for these fellowships is 16:00 on 10 October 2023.
Evaluating the benefits, costs and utility of synthetic data
Applications are open for funding for three complementary projects to explore the use of synthetic data. Successful applicants will evaluate the benefits, costs and utility of low-fidelity synthetic versions of securely held datasets from the perspective of different stakeholder groups.
Applications will close on 26 October 2023.
Survey: Covid-19 impact on equalities
Do you work in research or innovation? Tell us how Covid-19 impacted you
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Caucus (EDICa) has launched a nation-wide survey of everyone working in the research and innovation ecosystem and are looking for as many responses as possible from a wide range of fields.
Numerous studies came out in 2020 and 2021 looking at the immediate impact Covid-19 was having on careers, and the uneven impact it had on minoritised people. But where are we now? What has been the medium- to long-term impact? The more responses received, the more nuanced the data. UK Research and Innovation and the British Academy are funding the survey and are keen for the results to inform their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategies.
The survey is open until 29 September 2023.
Regular maintenance to the SRS
To allow your code to run effectively and without interruption, please avoid running your analysis during these times.
Weekly maintenance
All servers are rebooted between 07:00 and 07:30 every Monday morning and the SRS will not be accessible during these times.
Monthly maintenance
Updates are applied on the final Saturday of every month between 07:00 and 11:00. The SRS will not be accessible for the duration of this maintenance.
Dates for monthly maintenance 2023
- Saturday 30 September
- Saturday 28 October
- Saturday 25 November
- Saturday 30 December
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