What is PRUK?
Population Research UK (PRUK) is a joint ESRC and MRC initiative with UKRI funding that aims to maximise the use and benefits of UK longitudinal population studies (LPS) across social, economic and biomedical sciences.
What is PRUK going to do?
PRUK will provide a single source of information for LPS studies and users, signposting events, training, funding opportunities, and data infrastructure tools and services that are available, to help make the use of these internationally leading research resources better for all
PRUK will act as a voice for LPS and the needs of stakeholders within the wider research and data environment in the UK
PRUK will fund new solutions and services aimed at improving LPS across key areas of recognised need – work that you could be leading.
Why are you hosting workshops?
PRUK will be holding a series of stakeholder consultation workshops in October/November 2024 which will:
bring the LPS community up to speed with PRUK and upcoming funding opportunities
set out the areas in which funding opportunities will be available and to hear LPS community views on what the gaps in the landscape are, that PRUK funded projects could usefully fill
enable the LPS community to help shape the processes by which PRUK support is delivered.
Why now?
PRUK stakeholder consultation workshops are a key part of the first phase of PRUK, and are timed in advance of forthcoming PRUK funding opportunities in order to give the LPS stakeholder community the best opportunity to help shape PRUK investment and make the best of population-based resources and related services.
These will build on the extensive scoping work and consultation that already took part in the development of the PRUK prospectus, and provide an opportunity to learn about next steps.
Should I attend the PRUK stakeholder consultation workshops in person?
Yes, we want to encourage face to face engagement with PRUK, to help foster strong connections within the communities we serve. An online event will follow these workshops providing another opportunity to contribute to these discussions. Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to know about PRUK events.
If you are an Early Career Researcher and need assistance covering travel expenses to attend your nearest workshop, please contact us at info@pruk.ac.uk.
Why should I go?
if you are involved in LPS in the UK and wish to tell us how discovery, access, linkage, coordination and advocacy, or training associated with these amazing resources can be improved, come along
if you have new and imaginative ideas about how to heighten the value of LPS in the UK and would like to apply for funding support, come along
if you want to hear more about how PRUK will allocate its funding support and help shape how we do this, come along
if you want to be part of a community, and celebrate the contribution of millions of extraordinary participants, and make the best of game-changing resources for research, come along.
What the workshops will offer?
Workshops will provide an opportunity to contribute to the PRUK initiative and will be relevant to LPS stakeholders – including study teams, researchers and – importantly – those looking to bid for PRUK funding support to serve the LPS and the broader research communities. Critically, these workshops will allow the PRUK Hub to:
check that the service gaps that we have identified are those we need to fill as a community, to better serve research through LPS resources
scope the potential products and solutions available for the purpose of addressing PRUK challenges, and
bring the community into an active discussion as to how best to judge, support and then measure the output of PRUK supported activity.
