ECHILD accepting data access applications from eligible PhD students
ECHILD continues to accept data access applications from substantive employees of UK universities and research institutions. We are pleased to announce that, from July 2026, eligibility has been expanded to include PhD students who are Accredited Researchers.
This change broadens opportunities for doctoral researchers to undertake innovative research using ECHILD while maintaining robust security arrangements that underpin safe access to the data.
To be eligible, PhD students must hold Accredited Researcher status and be supervised by a fully accredited substantive employee within the UK, who takes responsibility for the project and its compliance with all relevant governance and data access requirements. The existing eligibility criteria for substantive employees remain unchanged, and ECHILD will continue to accept applications from substantive employees of UK universities and research institutions.
The expansion of eligibility reflects a commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers and enabling more early-career academics to benefit from working with linked administrative data. PhD students will be able to develop and lead research projects using ECHILD data as part of their doctoral studies, while benefiting from the oversight and support of an experienced researcher.
All applicants must continue to meet ECHILD's standard access requirements, including obtaining the necessary approvals and complying with the policies and procedures governing the use of ECHILD data within the Secure Research Service.
Upcoming ECHILD training course
New researchers interested in applying for access to ECHILD are encouraged to attend the upcoming Introduction to the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) Database training course taking place in 28-29 September 2026 in London. The course provides an introduction to the ECHILD resource, including its content, structure, governance arrangements and research applications.
The training will be particularly valuable for PhD students who are planning to make use of this new eligibility route and would like to learn more about the dataset and the opportunities it offers for research.
Further information and registration details are available through the National Centre for Research Methods: Introduction to the ECHILD Database training course, or contact us at [email protected].