PBPP Approval Pathway

Find out if your project requires approval from a Public Benefit and Privacy Panel (PBPP).

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Notice to researchers

Stats PBPP are placing a temporary hold on applications for education data until Monday 02 December 2024 due to resourcing within the Educational Analytical Division.

Applications already submitted will be progressed until concluded and Stats PBPP continue to accept submissions for simple amendments, i.e. extend the project end date, add or remove a researcher. However, they will be unable to consider applications that involve any fundamental change to the project or complex amendments, i.e. additional variables, extending the scope, changes to research objectives etc., during this time.

Stats PBPP appreciates that this will be disappointing, however, they would like to thank applicants in advance for their patience.

PBPP Approval Pathway

Currently, most applications for data access follow the PBPP Approval Pathway. Applications for data access are assessed by one of two Public Benefit and Privacy Panels (PBPP): Health and Social Care or Statistics.

Although all project enquiries should be made using our enquiry page, full applications following the PBPP Approval Pathway are not made through our online application system. eDRIS continues to support projects that require PBPP approval but these applications will follow the same procedure as before.

To find out if eDRIS can support your project, head to our enquiry page. You’ll be asked a few questions about your data needs to ensure the service is right for you. After this, we’ll ask you to provide more detail about your project. A member of the eDRIS team will then get in touch to discuss your project and guide you through the appropriate pathway.

Funding requirements

Please note that, while you do not need funding in place before submitting an enquiry, you will need to have secured funding before engaging eDRIS services beyond the initial feasibility enquiry. This applies to both applications made through the PBPP Approval Pathway and the RAS Approval Pathway.