The Promise: Areas of Research Interest 2026-2029

Getting in touch / Working with us

General information on the Scottish Government approach to academic engagement is available in the Academic Engagement Fact Sheet.

How to contact us

We are keen to hear about the research that comes from this ARI, and will endeavour to engage with the research community when we can. If you wish to discuss any aspects of this ARI with Scottish Government, or any partner organisations of The Promise Data and Evidence Group, please contact: thepromiseanalysis@gov.scot. Analysts will aim to provide an initial response within 20 working days. If you are contacting us, please provide brief background on your organisation, your specific request and how it is aligned to the ARI. We will take into account policy alignment and priorities, purpose, timescales, ethical considerations, and availability of relevant capacity and expertise within The Promise analysis team when responding.

Accessing data

Administrative Data Research (ADR) Scotland

ADR Scotland is a partnership that brings together specialists from the Scottish Government’s Data for Research and Data Sharing Legislation Unit and academic researchers at the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR). ADR Scotland provides national leadership and expertise to transform how administrative data is safely accessed and used for public good research. This includes flagship datasets, selected for their substantial potential to provide new data to fill evidence gaps and address pressing policy needs. ADR UK is currently offering funding for up to 30 PhD studentships that will offer the chance to address priority policy questions using ADR UK’s growing portfolio of flagship datasets. Please note, the application window for this opportunity closes on 15 September 2026.

The ‘Looked After Children’ Longitudinal flagship dataset brings together administrative data on episodes of care, placements and the legal reasons for children beginning to experience care by local authorities across Scotland. By linking annual returns across multiple years, the dataset enables detailed analysis of care journeys over time, including placement stability, transitions and variation across local authorities and demographic groups. The dataset also includes information on the child’s characteristics (such as age, ethnicity and disability), the legal basis for beginning to experience care and the accommodation type recorded when episodes end.

Further engagement

In their new investment period (2026-2030), ADR Scotland will establish Data Impact Groups to progress their five strategic research themes, including one on children and young people. These groups, comprising of government officials, researchers, academics, and other relevant public sector partners, will be supported by communities of practice, a suite of resources and an end-to-end supported service to help researchers and policy colleagues identify priority datasets for ingest and/or develop policy-responsive research projects using administrative data.

The ADR Scotland Engagement and Impact Team would welcome involvement in any of these elements. Please contact: ADRScotland@gov.scot