Become an accredited researcher

Accreditation allows researchers to access de‑identified data in a Trusted Research Environment, such as the Secure Research Service, to carry out analysis and produce outputs.

You can apply for full or provisional accreditation through the hub.

Full accreditation

You must have an undergraduate degree or higher with a substantial proportion of mathematics or statistics, at grade 2:2 or above.

If you do not have a suitable degree, you must be able to demonstrate at least three years of quantitative research experience.

Full accreditation is valid for five years. See Part 2 of the Research Code of Practice and Accreditation Criteria for full conditions.

Examples of acceptable study content include:

• ethics

• data analysis

• research design

• statistical testing

Examples of relevant datasets include:

• administrative

• census

• cohort

• longitudinal

• marketing

• survey data

These examples are indicative.

Provisional accreditation

Provisional accreditation is for researchers who do not yet meet the requirements for full accreditation. You must have a full accredited researcher who agrees to supervise, direct, and take responsibility for your work. The supervisor must:

• work for the same organisation

• agree to oversee all your projects

• accept responsibility if you breach your access declaration

Provisional accreditation is valid for three years.

Create a Hub account

The Hub is the secure platform used to manage researcher accreditation.

Provide your organisation name, your name and organisation email address, and agree to the terms of access.

The team aims to respond to account applications within five working days.

Activate two-step verification

You must activate two-step verification within 24 hours of receiving your welcome email.

1. Wait one hour after the welcome email, then visit the Google account sign-in page and use your Hub Google email and temporary password to sign in to your account.

2. Change your password when prompted.

3. Go to two‑step verification settings and select an authenticator app.

4. Scan the QR code with Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, then enter the six-digit code to turn on two-step verification. If you miss the 24-hour window or need a password reset, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk. Do not use the "forgotten password" link on the sign-in page. Support hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, excluding bank holidays.

5. Visit our Apply for an account web page and follow the steps to make your request.

6. When your Hub account is approved and set up, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk to request a verification check. This check confirms your qualifications or experience.

You must complete recognised Safe Researcher Training and pass the assessment.

• You will receive access instructions to the Office for National Statistics Learning Hub where you can book the free Safe Researcher Training course.

• The course covers data security and personal responsibility, the Five Safes framework, and the principles of Statistical Disclosure Control.

• Your record is updated automatically when you pass the assessment.

If your record does not update, email evidence of your assessment to Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk.  

You may complete training and assessment with another provider. If you do, email evidence that includes the provider, the date you completed training, the date you passed the assessment, and any supporting documentation. You will still need to request a verification check.

When you have completed verification and training:

1. Sign in to the Hub.

2. Choose full or provisional accreditation.

3. Accept the researcher access declaration, which commits you to protecting the confidentiality of data.

It is a requirement of the Digital Economy Act to publish accredited researchers on the UK Statistics Authority public register. If you wish to be excluded, you must provide a reason to the UK Statistics Authority. Exclusion requests may delay accreditation.

To renew full accreditation or upgrade from provisional to full:

• request a verification check to confirm your qualifications or experience

• retake and pass the Safe Researcher Training assessment

You will receive a reminder email 60 days before your accreditation expiry date with a link to the assessment. If you expect an email and have not received one, contact Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk. You can upgrade from provisional to full accreditation at any time through the Hub.

The UK Statistics Authority publishes a record of accredited and approved researchers on the public register. This supports transparency of access under the Digital Economy Act and the Statistics and Registration Service Act.

For accreditation support, email Accredited.Researcher.Support@ons.gov.uk.

For information about the Secure Research Service, email srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk.