Become an accredited researcher

Most access to data in a Trusted Research Environment (TRE), such as the Secure Research Service (SRS), will be under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA). There are two ways in which a researcher can be associated with a research project using the DEA:

• as a full accredited researcher under the DEA

• as a provisional accredited researcher under the DEA

In some instances, access can be granted by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) Approved Researcher.

Becoming a full accredited researcher under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA) allows researchers to carry out analysis and produce outputs on projects in a Trusted Research Environment, such as the Secure Research Service (SRS), and is valid for five years. To be a full accredited researcher, individuals must have an undergraduate degree (or higher), including a significant proportion of maths or statistics. Otherwise, they must be able to demonstrate at least three years quantitative research experience.

If you have a degree that includes a substantial proportion of maths or statistics, you should have an associate, bachelor's, master's, or a doctorate (PhD) degree, with a minimum grade of a 2:2 (lower second class).

Examples of mathematical or statistical elements that you may have studied include:

• application of ethics   

• data analysis  

• data collection, including designing questionnaires, ethnography, focus groups, interviewing, sampling, or weighting  

• hypothesis formation  

• research design  

• statistical analysis  

• testing and evaluation

If you do not have a degree, you should be able to provide evidence of three years of research experience.

Datasets that you may have used during this experience include:

• admin data  

• case control data  

• census data  

• cohort data  

• longitudinal data  

• marketing data  

• survey data 

Full accreditation conditions for researchers are set out in Part 2 of the Research Code of Practice and Accreditation Criteria.

Researchers should apply for accreditation through the Hub. Please do not email your application form to us.

A provisional accredited researcher under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA) can work on projects in a Trusted Research Environment, such as the Secure Research Service (SRS), under the supervision of a fully accredited researcher. This role suits individuals without the appropriate experience or qualifications required for full accredited researcher status.

The full accredited researcher must agree to supervise, direct and take responsibility for your work, on condition that you meet the requirements in a reasonable period.

Your supervisor must agree that they:

• work for the same organisation as you 

• will work on all your research projects 

• will direct and take responsibility for work undertaken by you when working on research projects 

• will be held responsible if you breach your accredited researcher access declaration

Your chosen supervisor must accept for your application to be successful, so we recommend discussing their responsibilities with them before applying. They will also need to be registered through the Hub.

After meeting the necessary conditions, provisional accredited researcher status will be valid for three years.

In some circumstances, researchers may access data for research purposes, using the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) approved researcher legal gateway. The prerequisites and process for becoming an approved researcher are the same as those for accredited researchers under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA), as set out above. Consequently, all approved researchers are recognised as accredited researchers and vice versa.

Governance of the SRSA Approved Researcher is overseen by the Research Accreditation Panel (RAP). This ensures that the process for granting access to de-identified data to accredited researchers under the DEA is independent, consistent, and transparent.

Researchers can apply for accreditation through the Hub.

Further information on the criteria being used and required to be met for accredited and approved researchers, can be found in Part 2 of the Research Code of Practice and Accreditation criteria.

To apply for either full or provisional researcher accreditation, you must: 

• set up your Hub account
• activate two-step verification to access the Hub
• pass a verification check by confirming your qualifications or experience
• provide evidence that you have completed a recognised Safe Researcher Training (SRT) course and passed the final course assessment

Set up your Hub account

The Hub is a secure platform that will allow you to apply for researcher accreditation.

You can apply for and access a Hub account if you are not yet an accredited researcher, but you will need to apply for accreditation before you can access data.

During the account application process, we will ask you to:

• provide the name of your organisation

• provide your name and organisation email address

• read and agree to our terms of access

We aim to respond to account applications within five working days.

Apply for an account

Activate two-step verification to access the Hub

The Hub uses Google's two-step verification for additional security. This is a step used to verify your identity after you enter your password. You cannot access the Hub without it. 

You should activate two-step verification within 24 hours of receiving your welcome email. If you miss this window, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk.  

Wait one hour after receiving your welcome email and then sign in to your account to activate two-step verification and follow these steps. 

1. If you are on your phone, download either the Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator app from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone).
2. If you are on your computer, use your Hub Google email and temporary password to sign in to your Google account. 
3. You will be asked to change your password; for new accounts, there will be a "Welcome" page -- select continue and set a new password.
4. You will then see a "Don't get locked out" page -- select "Enrol" and enter your new password again if asked.
5. For new accounts, under the "Second steps" heading, select "Authenticator"; for existing accounts, select "Authenticator" on your account page.
6. In the "Authenticator app" screen, select "Set up authenticator"; this will generate a QR code.
7. On your phone, open the Google or Microsoft Authenticator app, select the plus (+) icon to add a new account, then use your phone's camera to scan the QR code on screen and select "Next".
8. Your Google account will now show a six-digit code on your authenticator app that changes frequently -- enter the latest code into the screen to finish setting up two-step verification.
9. On the next screen, select "Turn on two-step verification" -- your account is now protected by two-step verification.

If you forget your password or need to reset it, do not use the forgotten password link on the sign in page. For a new password, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk. 

Our support hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. We aim to respond as soon as possible. The inbox is not monitored on bank holidays. 

Pass a verification check

When your Hub account is approved and set up, you will need to email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk to request a verification check. The verification check will include confirmation of your qualifications and experience.

Provide evidence you meet training and assessment requirements

When your verification check is complete, you will be sent access instructions to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Learning Hub where you can book your free Safe Researcher Training (SRT) course. 

The SRT course will: 

• cover data security and personal responsibility, including legal and procedural breaches and penalties
• introduce a framework for data access (the Five Safes)
• explain the theory behind Statistical Disclosure Control (SDC), how to make outputs safe for release, and the principles used 

We will automatically update your record to show you have completed your training and passed your assessment. If you completed your assessment and your record has not updated, email evidence of your assessment to Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk. 

You can also complete the SRT course with another provider (see our list of Trusted Research Environment training and assessment providers). If you have arranged your own training and assessment with another provider, you will still need to complete a verification check. 

We will also need evidence of: 

• the provider you used 
• the date you completed training 
• the date you passed your assessment 
• any supporting documentation 

You can send this to us by email and request a verification check at Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk.  

Apply for researcher accreditation

Once you have completed the training and assessment requirements, you will be able to apply for researcher accreditation in the Hub.

Being accredited means that you can work with secure data in a safe setting. It allows you to carry out analysis and produce outputs in a Trusted Research Environment (TRE).

You can apply for two types of researcher accreditation:

• full researcher accreditation

• provisional researcher accreditation

To apply for either full or provisional researcher accreditation, you must accept a researcher access declaration. Accepting the declaration means you are committing to protecting and maintaining the confidentiality of data. This requirement is detailed in Part 2 of the Research Code of Practice and Accreditation Criteria.  

It is also a Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA) requirement to publish your details in the UK Statistics Authority Public Register. If you want to be excluded from the public register, you must provide a reason to the UK Statistics Authority. This will delay your accreditation. 

If you have any questions about the application process, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk. 

Renew or upgrade your accreditation

To renew or upgrade your researcher accreditation, you must first:

• pass a verification check by confirming your qualifications or experience
• retake and pass the Safe Researcher Training assessment 

We will email you a reminder to renew your accreditation 60 days before your accreditation expiry date. This email will include a link to the assessment. To request a verification check, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk. 

If you are expecting an email but have not received one, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk.  

You do not need to wait for an email to upgrade your accreditation from provisional to full. You can do this at any time through the Hub.

A record of all accredited and approved researchers is published on the UK Statistics Authority Public Register. This ensures transparency of access to research data under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA) and Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) (from 9 September 2021 onwards).

For support with your researcher accreditation, you can email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk.  

You can also contact the Secure Research Service (SRS) Customer Support team for more information by email to srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk.