We are delighted to announce that CLOSER has received a two year funding extension to continue its activities through until September 2019; this will enable CLOSER to take account of the emerging recommendations from the ESRC’s Strategic Review of Longitudinal Studies.
Interim ESRC Chief Executive, Professor Tony McEnery, said: “We are uniquely privileged in Britain to have a superb portfolio of longitudinal studies. We are also fortunate to have CLOSER to help ensure these studies are used in the best way. CLOSER is an important investment for ESRC and we are delighted to award this extension, in collaboration with MRC, so that CLOSER can continue its valuable work.”
CLOSER’s Director, Professor Alison Park, said: “I am delighted that CLOSER has been awarded a two-year extension to its funding. The UK is home to the largest and longest-running longitudinal studies in the world and CLOSER plays a vital role in maximising their use, value and impact. Our focus for the next two years will be to build on the work we have already done to encourage cross-cohort analysis and data discoverability, the latter via our flagship resource, CLOSER Discovery. The extension also allows us to continue our training programme in order to build capacity for the next generation of researchers, and to promote the ways in which high quality research can inform policy.”