Annual Report 2024-2025

This year marks a real turning point for ADR UK. Since our establishment in 2018, we have worked across our UK-wide partnership to build a sustainable and secure data infrastructure, funding projects that demonstrate the value of administrative data through world-class data linkage and research programmes. 

We can now show how this hard work has paid off. ADR UK is now firmly established as a trusted leader in the field. The research potential of administrative data is no longer theoretical – it’s visible, proven, and delivering meaningful impact. 

I’m delighted that this shift is reflected in the ever-growing number of organisations eager to collaborate with us, the expanding scale and ambition of the programmes we support, and the recognition we’re receiving from influential voices in government, policy, and academia. Meanwhile, our mid-term evaluation confirmed that we’re delivering excellent value for money – £5 of public benefit for every £1 invested. 

But the clearest sign of this momentum is our biggest milestone to date: confirmation of £168 million in UK Government reinvestment, starting in April 2026. That’s up from £115 million for the current five-year period, and represents the full amount we requested to deliver our vision. This renewed commitment offers the strongest possible foundation for what comes next. 

We’ll be focused on unlocking more linked social, health and economic data through new flagship datasets covering the four nations; investing in our technical infrastructure to support even more researchers to access our data; and streamlining the researcher journey from end to end, to scale up the generation of ADR UK insights that inform policy for the public good. 

A thriving, sustainable data research ecosystem depends not just on infrastructure, but on access and visibility. That’s why we’re focused on making ADR UK datasets more discoverable and usable for all researchers. In addition to coordinating our own Fellowship and PhD programmes, this year has seen growing uptake of researchers funded by other organisations using our data across a wide range of disciplines and sectors. We’re continuing to work with government (UK and devolved), as well as public bodies across the UK, to further develop flagship datasets and open up novel avenues of research. 

At the same time, we’ve taken on a more strategic role in shaping the data research ecosystem. Our expert input into the development of the National Data Library reflects how far we’ve come – both as a delivery body and as a trusted leader in data. 

Innovation continues to be central to our mission. This year, we’ve made major strides in areas such as synthetic data and user-centred improvements like expanded training and support. These developments are helping to make secure data access faster, smarter, and more inclusive. 

We’re also seeing growing influence on real-world policy and practice. ADR UK-funded research has been cited in government briefings, policy documents, and parliamentary inquiries. Our researchers, project leads, and Ambassadors are increasingly contributing to roundtables and consultations, helping embed evidence more directly into decision-making. Our expanding collection of impact case studies highlights how administrative data is informing solutions to urgent societal challenges – from housing and education to justice and health inequalities – in every nation. 

Public engagement remains a cornerstone of our approach. The Connecting Society podcast continues to demystify our work for a broader audience (with a new series coming very soon!). Public panels across the ADR UK partnership – including a new panel launching in Northern Ireland this year – are helping shape how we link and use data in ethical, transparent, and impactful ways that reflect public views. These forums provide essential feedback and ensure that research stays grounded in the realities of people’s lives. 

Data, AI, and public sector reform are all topics grabbing attention – and rightly so. ADR UK is part of these vital, fast-moving conversations. But while headlines shift and priorities evolve, our core strength remains clear: linking high-quality, de-identified administrative data at scale to answer the big questions about how society works, how public services can improve, and how people’s lives can be made better. That combination of relevance and reliability is what sets us apart. And it’s why more people than ever are engaging with ADR UK and our data services. 

As always, I’m hugely grateful to the ADR UK community – from team members, funders, and delivery partners to researchers and members of the public – for your invaluable contributions. I look forward to what we’ll achieve together in 2026 and beyond. 

Dr Emma Gordon

Chairing the ADR UK Programme Board as Senior Responsible Officer is a highlight of my role at the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Over the past year, the ADR UK team has made remarkable progress in the complex but vital field of UK-wide data linkage – enabling research that is making a real difference to people’s lives. 

It’s been inspiring to read the case studies showcasing research impact across our four national partnerships – ADR England, ADR Northern Ireland, ADR Scotland, and ADR Wales – alongside the Office for National Statistics. A standout example is their collaboration with NatCen, which brought together insights into care experiences across the UK. This is just one way ADR UK is building strong partnerships and unlocking transformative opportunities for researchers to better understand society through data. 

In my role as Deputy Executive Chair of ESRC, I oversee the Skills & Methods and Data Strategy & Infrastructure portfolios. A key priority is ensuring strong connectivity across ESRC and championing the role of social science within UKRI’s broader infrastructure agenda. ADR UK plays a central role in this, working closely with partners including ESRC’s Public Policy and Engagement teams, the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI), Health Data Research UK, DARE UK, Smart Data Research UK, Population Research UK, and UK Data Service to share knowledge and best practice. 

ESRC continues to shape the future of data-driven research skills and methods training. ADR UK has expanded its Training and Capacity Building Strategy, grown its research fellowship programme, and is now directly supporting 22 PhD studentships. These efforts complement ESRC’s wider work to embed administrative data use throughout researchers’ careers. I remain committed to the strategic importance of community-led research and innovation, ensuring inclusive opportunities for all to engage in research. 

I’m delighted that ADR UK will continue its ground-breaking work beyond March 2026, supported by UKRI’s reinvestment. Under Emma Gordon’s inspiring leadership, ADR UK will remain a key contributor to our society and economy – supporting government ambitions to boost economic productivity, improve public services, and create high-quality jobs through research and innovation. 

Professor Alison Park