Longitudinal studies consortium receives funding extension

We are delighted to announce that CLOSER, a consortium of UK longitudinal studies based at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), has received a two year funding extension to continue its activities through until September 2019.

This funding will enable CLOSER to take account of the emerging recommendations from the ESRC's Strategic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

Three of the longitudinal studies that form part of CLOSER are also located at the IOE, within its Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS).

CLOSER's Director, Professor Alison Park, said:

"The UK is home to the largest and longest-running longitudinal studies in the world and CLOSER plays a vital role in maximising their use, value and impact. The extension also allows us to continue our training programme in order to build capacity for the next generation of researchers, and to promote the ways in which high quality research can inform policy."

CLOSER's focus for the next two years will be to build on the work it has already done to encourage cross-cohort analysis and data discoverability, the latter via its flagship online search resource, CLOSER Discovery.

Professor Becky Francis, Director of the IOE said:

"This extension to CLOSER's funding is testament to the hard work and achievements of the team in developing the UK's world-renowned longitudinal cohort studies as a resource for researchers, policy-makers and others.

"These studies offer a tremendous resource for understanding our society and how we might best tackle injustices; bringing the studies together and building capacity for their use through the CLOSER network magnifies that value still further."

Interim ESRC Chief Executive, Professor Tony McEnery, added:

"We are uniquely privileged in Britain to have a superb portfolio of longitudinal studies. We are also fortunate to have CLOSER to help ensure these studies are used in the best way. CLOSER is an important investment for ESRC and we are delighted to award this extension, in collaboration with MRC, so that CLOSER can continue its valuable work."

Links

• CLOSER
• Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS)
• Professor Alison Park's research profile
• Q&A with Professor Becky Francis