How to apply
Academics and researchers are invited to submit proposals for studies to be incorporated on the Understanding Society Innovation Panel Wave 17. Data collection will take place in summer 2024.
Researchers can submit two types of proposals to be carried in the subsequent wave of the Innovation Panel:
- Proposals for new survey content, that will be used to address innovative research questions. The proposed survey questions can be on any topic.
- Proposals for survey methods experiments and evaluations. Methodological studies could relate to the design of survey instruments (e.g. question wording, item order, etc.) or to survey design features (e.g. procedures intended to reduce non-response or to improve fieldwork efficiency).
In preparing proposals, applicants are encouraged to consult with Professor Annette Jäckle, Associate Director for Innovation (aejack@essex.ac.uk), about how their study could be designed to meet the Innovation Panel criteria. Applicants should note that Wave 17 will involve mixed mode data collection, whereby some sample members will complete the interview online, some with a face-to-face interviewer, and a few with a telephone interviewer. The survey instruments will contain the same items in each mode, with only minimal differences. The survey also collects interviewer observation items (where the interview is conducted face-to-face), call records (where the interview is conducted face-to-face or by telephone) and time stamp data for questionnaire sections.
Proposals must be accompanied by a CV (maximum 2 pages) for each named proposer, the draft specification of questions or other required text, and a list of references cited in the Case for Support.
There are no costs to successful applicants, unless the proposal includes non-standard survey elements (e.g., task-related incentive pay-outs or additional mailings).
All proposers will receive preliminary notification of the review panel’s decisions in July 2023. Final acceptance will be conditional on fully establishing the feasibility of the proposed study. Successful proposers will be expected to work with the Innovation Panel survey team to develop and finalise the details of the implementation of the experiment. This will include checking the questionnaire specification or other relevant documents, and testing the computerized questionnaire script. Once data are available, proposers will be expected to analyse and report the main outcome(s) in a summary form appropriate for inclusion in a Working Paper. Successful proposers will be asked to sign a memorandum of agreement indicating their willingness to carry out these development and analysis activities.
Proposers are expected to publish their research based on the resultant data. The data will be made available to proposers as soon as possible and in advance of general release via the UK Data Service.
Timetable
The latest Innovation Panel Competition will take place in the Spring/Summer of 2023. The key milestones are summarised below.
| Phase | Action & events | Date |
| Deadline for entries | Ensure proposal meets mandatory criteria | April 16th 2023 |
| Notification of decisions | Proposers notified by email | July 2023 |
| Development work | Work with implementation team to finalise the details of your experiment | July-Dec 2023 |
| Fieldwork | Interview IP households | May-September 2024 |
| Early data available to proposers | Report on key outcome/s for a Working Paper | January 2025 |
| Data released through UK Data Service | Publish your findings | Summer 2025 |