IOE academic named as Director of Research at prestigious research council

Having joined the Cohort and Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources (CLOSER) consortium in 2015, Professor Park will be stepping down from her role as director at the end of the year.

Reflecting on the past four years, she said: 

“It has been a privilege to direct CLOSER, working with an excellent consortium and a talented team of UCL staff. CLOSER’s overall focus is on improving the use, value and impact of the UK’s longitudinal studies, and is underpinned by its bringing together of eight key UK longitudinal studies from across the social and biomedical sciences. 

“I’m proud of what we have achieved since CLOSER began, with particular highlights including our work to improve longitudinal research practice, new research to harmonise measures across studies, the creation of a Learning Hub for those new to longitudinal research, and our data discovery platform, CLOSER Discovery. These areas, and many others, will continue to be priorities for CLOSER over the next few years.”

Lynn Molloy, a member of CLOSER’s Executive Team and Chief Operating Officer for the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, said “Alison has made tremendous contribution to CLOSER over the past four years. She has been instrumental in bringing the studies together and advocating on behalf of the scientific community on important issues facing longitudinal research. We thank her for all her hard work and wish her all the very best in her new role.”

Professor Becky Francis, Director of the IOE, said: 

“My warm congratulations to Alison on her appointment as Director of Research at the ESRC.  Alison has provided outstanding leadership for CLOSER, which is a hugely significant programme of biosocial research and capacity building, mobilising the wealth of longitudinal data we have in the UK and bringing that evidence to bear on major issues in health and social policy.  Alison’s appointment at the ESRC is a very positive one for the social science research community as well as its stakeholder community of policymakers, practitioners and those they serve.”

Dr Lisa Calderwood of the UCL Institute of Education has been appointed as CLOSER’s interim director, starting on 1 January 2019. Dr Calderwood is the Principal Investigator of Next Steps, Senior Survey Manager for the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, and a long-standing member of the CLOSER Leadership Team.

The job posting for a permanent replacement for the CLOSER Director will open for applications before Christmas.

Links

• View Professor Alison Park's research profile
• Cohort and Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources (CLOSER)
• Department of Social Science
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)