Applications for the 2025-26 Cohort of Data Impact Fellows are open! We share some more reflections & updates from our most recent cohort.
You can find out more information and apply on our website here.
Niloofar Shoari, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Child Health, University College London (UCL)
Participating in this scheme has been an incredibly enriching experience, offering me professional growth to enhance the impact of my research. As a Data Impact Fellow, I attended multiple catch-up meetings where it was inspiring to see how my peers work to increase the impact of their research. These meetings often included external speakers who provided valuable insight into innovative data sources, mobilizing research in policy, and effective communication with diverse audiences, including policymakers. This knowledge and skills are essential for researchers aiming to make a difference, yet we often lack the time to learn about them.
Additionally, this scheme provided a fantastic networking opportunity with like-minded individuals who use the same data for various research questions. I gained a deeper understanding of what research impact means and discovered different ways to increase the impact of my work. The flexibility of the scheme allowed me to decide how I wanted to enhance my research impact, tailoring it to my specific needs and career goals.
Looking ahead, I plan to leverage the skills and knowledge I have acquired to ensure my research makes a significant impact. I am excited to use my funding to present my research at an international conference. This scheme has also inspired me to give back to the community by sharing my experiences through blog posts, which is a new approach to communication for me. I highly encourage anyone considering this scheme to take the leap.
Rhiannon Williams, Evaluation Analyst in the NHS
The UK Data Service Impact Fellowship has been a fantastic opportunity for me to grow as a researcher. At the beginning of the scheme, I was doing my PhD at the Sheffield Methods Institute at the University of Sheffield. My PhD involved analysing the effects of an emerging and evolving policy, Universal Credit, so impact was an important part of my research.
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 the PhD. Spending time with other Fellows and attending events such as the 2024 Poverty in Data day allowed me to develop practical skills, particularly in connecting data with impact. I have also used the UK Data Service Data Impact Fellowship grant to attend the Disability Studies Conference, enabling me to share my findings on the unequal effect of Universal Credit on disabled claimants and experience of research impact work with the wider academic community.
As my time as a UK Data Service Impact Fellow comes to a close, I have completed my PhD and am now working as a Research Fellow in the School of Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield. Impact is a big part of my role, which often involves working with practitioners and policymakers. My experience and learning with the UK Data Service has definitely helped prepare me for this. For the next step in my research career, I am starting a new role as an Evaluation Analyst in the NHS, where I’ll be able to combine my experiences of data and impact work to help improve health outcomes.
Tasos Papastylianou, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
I was very fortunate to be part of the Data Impact Fellows scheme. Through the scheme, I had the opportunity to meet with a diverse group of early career academics, with backgrounds and research topics that were very different to mine, but facing similar data challenges, and even looking at similar data. Some of the connections made through this scheme have already opened new avenues for collaboration which I am now actively pursuing. Beyond helping me expand my network with keen, interdisciplinary collaborators, the scheme also included organised sessions aimed at identifying and making the best use of available data, which were very useful and interesting.
I was also very grateful for the financial award that accompanied the scheme, as this allowed me to attend an important conference in my field without worrying about the financial aspects involved. In general, the scheme helped me appreciate more the intrinsically interdisciplinary nature of data, and encouraged me to look for opportunities for collaboration beyond one’s narrow field of research and preconceived areas of impact. I would encourage anyone who is eligible for the scheme to apply.
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.
We are aligning this cohort with two of our Impact Themes, Mental health and wellbeing in data and Children and young people in data.
The scheme offers:
- 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.
- Contribute to our impact events.
You can find out more information and apply on our website here.