CLOSER, the home of longitudinal research, brings together world-leading longitudinal studies with participants born throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Director: ±Ê°ù´Ç´Ú±ð²õ²õ´Ç°ùÌýJennifer Symonds
Our mission is to increase the visibility, use and impact of longitudinal population studies, data and research.
About usÂ
- How CLOSER is making a difference
CLOSER, the home of longitudinal research, is the interdisciplinary partnership of leading social and biomedical longitudinal population studies, the UK Data Service and The British Library.
Our mission is to increase the visibility, use and impact of longitudinal population studies, data and research to ensure that longitudinal evidence is used to address the health, social, economic and environmental challenges facing the UK, now and in the future.
Our work focuses on four primary areas:
Data discoverabilityÂ
We increase the use, visibility, and awareness of longitudinal population study data through advancing and expanding both the content contained in, and the research services provided by, CLOSER Discovery.
Policy and DialogueÂ
We mobilise data and research from multiple longitudinal population studies, provide evidence and insights to policy and decision makers, and generate demonstrable impact across a range of policy areas.
Training and capacity buildingÂ
We provide training and capacity building opportunities for researchers and those running longitudinal population studies, with a particular focus on filling gaps in current provision.
Data innovations
We ensure the long-term value of our extensive work on data harmonisation and data linkage through knowledge dissemination and training.
- Our staff
CLOSER is run by a group of researchers and professionals based at leading academic institutions and data management centres.
Centre staff
- Claudia Alito, Metadata AssistantÂ
- , Digital Communications and Events ManagerÂ
- Charlotte Campbell, Research FellowÂ
- , Head of Policy and DialogueÂ
- Suparna De, Honorary Senior Research FellowÂ
- , Principal Investigator (Interim)Â
- , Technical LeadÂ
- , Research FellowÂ
- , Metadata and Data ManagerÂ
- , Metadata ManagerÂ
- Jack Norcross, Metadata AssistantÂ
- Bill Norley, ProragmmerÂ
- Becky Oldroyd, Metadata OfficerÂ
- Aidan Riley, Project OfficerÂ
- Jennifer Spiegel, Metadata AssistantÂ
- , Project ManagerÂ
- Sarah White, Metadata AssistantÂ
Executive team
- Darren Bell - UK Data ServiceÂ
- Jackie Carter - University of ManchesterÂ
- Emla Fitzsimons - University College LondonÂ
- Faten Hussein - UK ParliamentÂ
- Rachel Kotarski - British LibraryÂ
- Rosie McEachan - Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health ResearchÂ
Advisory committee
- Nathan Cunningham - University of SheffieldÂ
- Bobby Duffy - King's College LondonÂ
- Daisy Fancourt, University College LondonÂ
- Emla Fitzsimons- University College LondonÂ
- Vernon Gayle- University of EdinburghÂ
- Grant Hill-Cawthorne- Parliamentary Office of Science and TechnologyÂ
- Clare Holdsworth, Keele UniversityÂ
- Flo Martin, University of BristolÂ
- Alison Pritchard, Office of National StatisticsÂ
- Our partners
There are currently 19 studies participating in the CLOSER network, with participants born as early as the 1930s to the present day. The British Library and the UK Data Service are also key partners, and the Social Research Institute is the lead research institution.
Activities
- CLOSER studies
- 1946 MRC National Survey of Health and Development
- 1958 National Child Development Study
- 1970 British Cohort Study
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (Children of the 90s)
- Born in Bradford
- English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
- Generation Scotland
- Growing Up in Scotland
- Health and Employment After Fifty
- Hertfordshire Cohort Study
- Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England: Cohort 2 (Our Future Study)
- Millennium Cohort Study (Child of the New Century)
- Next Steps
- Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of AgeingÂ
- ONS Longitudinal Study
- Southampton Women’s Survey
- Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study
- Whitehall II (The Stress and Health Study)
- Wirral Child Health and Development Study (The First Steps Study)
- Our research
Research features
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