This week the UK Data Service Impact Team opened applications for the 2025-26 Cohort of Data Impact Fellows. Find out who can apply, how you can apply and why you should consider doing so below!
The UK Data Service supports the use of its data and resources by new generations of researchers and analysts using Service data – from the earliest stages of, and throughout their career – with the fifth round of its prestigious Data Impact Fellows programme.
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Data Impact Fellows programme aims to provide career development opportunities for researchers and analysts at a relatively early stage in their career in the academic or charity sectors.
The programme is an open competition for researchers and analysts at a relatively early stage in their research career. We invite applications from researchers in the academic or voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sectors who are using data from the UK Data Service to support research into areas related to mental health, wellbeing, children or young people.
We are aligning this cohort with two of our Impact Themes, Mental health and wellbeing in data and Children and young people in data.
Applicants should have a specific focus or interest in impact in their research.
You can find out more information and apply on our website here.
What does the scheme offer?
- financial support to help you develop your idea of data impact
- an opportunity to meet and network with other Fellows to share and develop ideas
- sharing your work and ideas, and opening up discussion on our Data Impact blog
- showcasing your work and its impact through co-creating a case study
- contributing to future Data Impact events
Why should I apply?
Here is what some of our previous Data Impact Fellows said about how they’ve benefited from this scheme.
“The Data Impact Fellow scheme has provided me with opportunities to meet interesting people, to build new contacts both within and outside of academia, and to develop my research skills.”
Niels Blom, 2023 Data Impact Fellow, Research Fellow at the Violence and Society Centre at City, University of London
“Being a UK Data Service Impact Fellow gave me a clear space and toolkit to think about impact and integrate it into my research throughout my PhD.”
Rhiannon Williams, 2023 Data Impact Fellow, NHS Evaluation Analyst
You can find out more about the previous cohort at the links below, including what they were doing during their time as fellows and what they’re doing now.