Safe Researcher Training

This Safe Researcher Training (SRT) course is intended for researchers who will be, or are in the process of, applying for access to controlled data in the UK Data Service Secure Lab. It is also suitable for researchers who will be accessing controlled data in other secure environments, such as the ONS Secure Research Service or HMRC Datalab, where the requirements of access mandate attendance on a Safe Researcher Training course. It is not suitable for inexperienced researchers whose project applications are unlikely to be approved, such as undergraduates applying for dissertation projects.

Researchers who are applying for Accredited Researcher (AR) status to access data through legal gateways, such as the Digital Economy Act (DEA), must attend and pass this course before they can be awarded AR status.

This course covers:

• Data security and personal responsibility, including legal and procedural breaches and penalties, and the '5 Safes' security model.
• Statistical Disclosure Control - how to make statistical outputs safe for release and the principles employed.
• Using the Secure Lab - how to use the environment efficiently and effectively (includes preparation of data imports and statistical outputs).

Researchers who attend the course will be sent a link after the training to complete an online assessment. Access to Secure Lab will only be granted to researchers who successfully pass the assessment and complete the rest of the application process.

To request to attend this session, please contact secure.training@ukdataservice.ac.uk when submitting your request, please specify in the email if you currently fall into one or more of the below categories:

• Applying for AR status through the ONS Research Accreditation Service.
• Applying, or preparing an application, to access controlled data in the UK Data Service Secure Lab.
• Applying to access controlled data in the ONS Secure Research Service.
• Applying to access controlled data in the HMRC Datalab.
• Applying to access controlled data through Administrative Data Research UK (ADR-UK).

We will be verifying the information you provide with the relevant service(s). If you do not fall into the above categories, you can still request a place but this will be chargeable.