Call for abstracts: CLOSER Emerging Longitudinal Scholars Symposium 2025

Cohort and Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources (CLOSER) is an interdisciplinary partnership of leading social and biomedical longitudinal population studies, based at the UCL Social Research Institute (SRI).

Following the success of the Emerging Longitudinal Scholar Webinars last year, CLOSER is launching a new annual Emerging Longitudinal Scholars Symposium Series. 

This year’s symposium focuses on health, wellbeing and labour market (non-) participation. The symposium will be advertised on the IOE Events pages in due course.

Call for abstracts

Who can take part?

If you are an early career researcher (ECR) using data from UK longitudinal population studies, submit an abstract to participate in this exciting new event.

The event is open to ECRs at any stage of the research journey, including current Master’s or Doctoral students, as well as those in the early post-doctoral phase.

What are we looking for?

Does your research focus on labour market transitions, physical and/or mental health and wellbeing, socio-economic trends, or beyond?  We welcome abstracts from any ECR whose research examines the relationship between health, wellbeing and labour market participation, with a clear relevance to policymaking.  

We welcome research that examines: 

• The impact of physical and mental health on employment trajectories. 
• Socioeconomic inequalities in labour market participation and well-being. 
• The role of work in shaping health and well-being over the life course. 
• The influence of policy interventions on employment and health outcomes. 
• Methodological challenges in studying employment and health using LPS data. 

What can you expect?

If your abstract is successful, you will have 15-20 minutes to present your research in a collegial and supportive setting followed by an interactive discussion within the over-arching theme of the symposium. 

The symposium will be held online on Wednesday 18 June 2025. The exact timings will be confirmed after the abstract deadline.  

Why should you attend?

This supportive environment provides you with an opportunity to: 

• Present your research and refine your research skills 
• Gain constructive feedback 
• Engage in meaningful discussions with peers, academics, and policy actors.  
• Build connections within the longitudinal research and policy communities.  

How to submit an abstract

If you are interested in contributing, please submit a 150-250-word abstract outlining the research you would like to present via the Qualtrics form.  

Please include the following information in your submission: 

• Your name and affiliation, 
• The longitudinal dataset/s you are using and your sample size, 
• Analysis methods, 
• (Preliminary) results, and
• Implications and recommendations for policy.

Key dates

• Submission deadline: Monday 7 April 2025
• Notification of acceptance: Monday 25 April 2025
• Symposium date: Wednesday 18 June 2025

Related links

• Cohort and Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources (CLOSER)
• UCL Social Research Institute