ONS Opens Nominations for 2026 Research Excellence Awards

According to the ONS announcement, researchers using ONS secure data have until midnight on 6 September 2026 to apply for the awards, with winners announced at a London conference on 24 November.

The Office for National Statistics has opened nominations for its Research Excellence Awards 2026, inviting accredited researchers who use ONS-managed data through the Secure Research Service (SRS) to submit their work. According to the ONS announcement, the deadline is midnight on Sunday 6 September 2026. Winners will be announced at the SRS Conference in London on 24 November. The awards recognise excellence across methodology, collaboration, communication of research, and public benefit — and applicants must supply publicly available evidence to support any claims of impact.

Only accredited researchers — those who have completed the required training and approvals to access sensitive data through the SRS — are eligible to apply. That controlled access is the point: the SRS holds detailed data that can’t be released openly, covering everything from business microdata to health and labour market records. Researchers can submit nominations in more than one category but can only win in one. The number of categories for the 2026 cycle has not been officially confirmed.

For Kent, the awards matter in a practical sense. Researchers at institutions such as the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, and the NHS Kent and Medway ICB who hold SRS accreditation could submit projects covering local employment, housing, deprivation or transport — the kind of analysis that feeds into decisions made by Kent County Council and Medway Council. Recognition at a national level can make it easier for those teams to secure funding and partnerships for further work.

The awards resumed after a pause in 2023. Past winning projects have included work on data engineering, record linkage and metadata improvements that make secure datasets more usable for research.

Eligibility queries can be directed to SRS.Impact@ons.gov.uk.

Key information

• Nomination deadline: midnight, Sunday 6 September 2026 (according to the ONS announcement)
• How to apply: via the ONS online application form — guidance is provided alongside the form
• Winners announced: 24 November 2026 at the SRS Conference, London
• Eligibility queries: SRS.Impact@ons.gov.uk