ONS Research Excellence Awards 2025
Applications for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Research Excellence Awards 2025 are now closed. On this page you can learn more about this year's award categories and the judging panel.
1. Background
Each year, around 300 projects gain approval to access the secure data held within ONS Trusted Research Environments for statistical research. The research outcomes inform a diverse range of key economic and societal issues. Everything from inequalities in education and the cost of living through to insights on new linked health datasets.
The awards recognise the excellent and innovative analyses carried out and promote best practice research methodologies and data matching or linking. The awards promote greater awareness and understanding of the data made available and the public good achieved from statistical analyses of the data.
Awards were decided by an independent judging panel made up of experts from across the research community, read more about our judges in Section 3.
The awards are now closed, and we look forward to celebrating the winners at the ONS Research Capability 2025 event on 4 December in London.
Once the winners have been announced, this page will be updated with full details.
2. Awards
This year, we are delighted to offer four award categories.
Impact of Analysis Award
Nominations should include clear examples of how the research project has demonstrated excellence in methodology, collaboration, communication and presentation of research, and public benefit or impact. This research should have used secure data owned or managed by the ONS, using a Trusted Research Environment (TRE). The work must have produced at least one new publicly visible impactful output or outcome within the last 18 months.
Government-led Impact of Analysis Award
This award recognises impactful research projects led by a UK government department or body that demonstrates successful collaboration across sectors. Eligible projects must have used secure data owned or managed by the ONS, using a Trusted Research Environment (TRE). The award is open to teams or individual analysts who have contributed to publicly visible outcome or insights within the past 18 months. To qualify, the research must include collaboration with another organisation (other than the applicant's own) at one or more key stages of the research process.
Data Creation Award
This award recognises the vital work involved in creating, enhancing, or preparing secure datasets for use within the ONS Data Service (SRS or IDS). It celebrates efforts such as data engineering, linkage, enrichment, or improvements to metadata and documentation that have made secure data more accessible, functional, or usable for research. Eligible projects must have delivered data to the SRS or IDS within the past 18 months, or be in the process of delivering data. .
ONS People's Choice Award
All eligible entries will automatically be entered into the People's Choice Award, which will be open to all to cast their votes.
3. Meet the judging panel
Bill South
Deputy Director, Research Services and Data Access Division at the ONS
Bill leads the Division responsible for running the Secure Research Service (SRS) at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). His teams manage all aspects of the researcher journey - from processing project applications to ensuring that analytical outputs leaving the secure environment are non-disclosive. The teams also work closely with Administrative Data Research (ADR) UK partners to coordinate the delivery and use of new datasets from the ONS and across government for research purposes. Bill has worked at the ONS since 2003 in a variety of roles.
Ruth Gilbert
Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University College London
Ruth Gilbert is a clinical epidemiologist who uses administrative data to address clinical and policy questions related to the health and wellbeing of children and families. Ruth co-directs the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Children and Families Policy Research Unit, which informs Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) policy, and was a founder contributor to the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) database, funded by ADR UK. She has developed linkages between healthcare and family justice data for England and has published on the importance of a household income indicator. She is co-investigator with the Health Data Research (HDR) UK Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Driver Programme.
Nicola Shearman
Head of the Legal and Data Services Team at the UK Statistics Authority
Nikki Shearman is currently Head of the Legal and Data Services Team at the UK Statistics Authority, where she oversees Legal Affairs, Legislation, Research Accreditation, Ethics, Information Rights and Data Protection. Over the past 15 years, Nikki has played a leading role in shaping both global and UK statistical legal frameworks. She currently chairs the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) taskforce on Modernising Statistical Legislation. Previously, Nikki led the UKSA International Engagement work, representing the UK at the UN, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), and many other international forums.
Shayda Kashef
Senior Communications Manager, Public Engagement at ADR UK
Shayda has been working on Communications and Public Engagement for the ADR UK programme since 2019. From developing the brand voice and social media presence during the ADR UK pilot, to designing and implementing the ADR UK Public Engagement Strategy in 2021, Shayda has played a central role in building public trust in the use of data to improve people's lives. Shayda has contributed to various initiatives, including co-hosting the ADR UK Connecting Society podcast and establishing the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI). She has a background in science communication and medical ethics.
Nick Parlantzas
Head of Data Science at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Nick currently leads a cross-government team delivering the National Infrastructure Spatial Tool, which strengthens the evidence base for the government's housing and economic growth agenda. Nick is a Chartered Scientist with 10 years of experience across the public and private sectors, and has delivered multi-million-pound projects in the UK and internationally, such as the World-Bank-funded Climate Resilience Improvement Project in Sri Lanka. He has a strong interest in geospatial data science, analysis, and modelling, with a particular focus on infrastructure and climate change.
4. More information
If you have any questions about the ONS Research Excellence Awards, please email IDS.Impact@ons.gov.uk.