eDRIS researcher support services
Discover how we work together with our eDRIS colleagues to provide data access support.
Researcher approvals and accreditation
Find details about approved organisations and accreditation for researchers below.
Introduction
Researchers requiring access to secure datasets will need to remain affiliated with an approved organisation and ensure that their training remains valid throughout the length of their projects. Additionally, researcher accreditation will be required for the Researcher Access Service (RAS) pathway from 30 October 2025.
On this page, you'll find details on approved organisations in the UK and how to register as an accredited researcher.
For the Public Benefit and Privacy Panels (PBPP) pathway, researchers must ensure that their training remains valid throughout the length of their projects. For information about approvals that may be required for the PBPP pathway, including mandatory training, see PBPP Approval Pathway.
Approved organisations
One of the conditions for researchers to gain direct access to secure data is institutional affiliation. You must remain employed or affiliated with an approved organisation throughout the length of your research project.
Approved organisations are currently limited to UK-based public sector organisations, namely, select universities, the NHS, Local Authorities and the Scottish Government. Researchers from other organisations, including commercial and industry, can partner with an approved institution or the eDRIS team for analyses to be carried out on their behalf.
More information on approved institutions can be found on the eDRIS website under 'People affiliated with a trusted organisation'.
If you are a researcher affiliated with an approved UK organisation, use our pre-application checklist to see if you have everything you need to apply for secure access to data.
Researcher accreditation
Researchers who need to work with secure data can apply for accreditation with the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This will be mandatory for Researcher Access Service (RAS) applications from 30th October 2025.
The process takes around three to five weeks. Accredited Researchers are required by The Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017 to publish their details on the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) Public Register.
There are two types of researcher accreditation: full and provisional. Eligibility depends on your qualifications and research experience. If you have provisional accreditation, we require a fully accredited member of your research team to act as your supervisor for the duration of the project.
- The RAS guidance for applicants has more information about this section of the application form.
- Find out more about the Researcher Access Service
- Find out more about mandatory training for the PBPP pathway
More resources
Information governance for researchers
Discover key principles and legal considerations of information governance (IG) when accessing data.
Trusted Research Environments
There are a range of trusted research environments (TREs) in Scotland providing access to secure data.
Research data security
Find help for navigating data security as you work with secure and sensitive data for your research project.
Research for public good
Learn about the concept of public good and how research projects must deliver clear benefit to the public.
Terminology for researchers
Our list of common terms will help you understand more about how public sector data is used for research.
About the Digital Economy Act
Research Data Scotland (RDS) is aligning with the DEA to simplify and accelerate access to public sector data for research while maintaining the highest standards of privacy, security, and public trust.
About the Public Impact Advisory Group (PIAG) pilot
A new Public Impact Advisory Group (PIAG) will provide early feedback on Researcher Access Service applications.