Vacancy: National Statistician’s Data Ethics Advisory Committee lay members

The closing date for applications is 17 April 2026 at 23:55pm

The National Statistician’s Data Ethics Advisory Committee (NSDEC) advises the National Statistician and executives of the UK Statistics Authority that the access, use and sharing of public data, for research and statistical purposes, is ethical and for the public good. In the absence of a National Statistician NSDEC advises: ONS Director General for Surveys and Economic Statistics and ONS Head of Profession.

NSDEC was established in November 2014 and is currently chaired by Helen Boaden. NSDEC considers project and policy proposals from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Government Statistical Service (GSS) and beyond, and can advise the National Statistician and/or the Permanent Secretary on the ethical appropriateness of these.

About the National Statistician’s Data Ethics Advisory Committee

NSDEC provides ethics advice to the statistical system. This goes beyond just researchers and statisticians within the ONS, but also those across the GSS and the wider research community and academic sector, that use public authority data for research and statistical production.

The Committee:

• Considers the ethics of collecting, accessing, using and sharing data for research and statistical purposes, ensuring it is ethical and for the public good.
• Provides researchers and statisticians with independent and expert ethics advice and guidance at the design phase of a research project.
• Promotes transparency around data sharing.
• Provides advice to the National Statistician on the basis of the following ethical principles:
  • Public Good
  • Confidentiality and Data Security
  • Methods and Quality
  • Legal Compliance
  • Public Views and Engagement
  • Transparency

This enables researchers to confidently move forward with important analysis, knowing that such research meets the UK Statistics Authority’s ethical principles, and that any ethical risks have been appropriately thought through and mitigated.

You can see examples of projects that have benefitted from the independent scrutiny the Committee provides in meeting minutes. Projects considered include:

• Student Suicide Statistics (ONS)
• Investigating vulnerabilities linked to serious youth violence using linked DfE & MoJ data (DfE & MoJ)
• Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and prevalence of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in the UK general population as assessed through repeated cross-sectional household surveys with additional serial sampling and longitudinal follow-up (ONS & University of Oxford)
• Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (ONS & Home Office)
• Measurement of Vulnerability of Children and Young People in England (Alma Economics (commissioned by the Children’s Commissioner for England))

Appointment description

A lay member of NSDEC plays a crucial role in reviewing a project’s ethical risks. Lay members are typically individuals without a background in ethics, statistics or data analysis, who bring an independent, community-based perspective to the process. Their primary responsibility is to assess the integrity and suitability of a project, and their contribution ensures that the Committee has diverse voices that include representation from local communities.

Lay members provide perspectives on how well a project is communicated to and understood by the general public. Their membership allows NSDEC to make well-rounded and representative decisions which are grounded in real-world insight.

Reporting and Governance

NSDEC advises the National Statistician. In the absence of a National Statistician NSDEC advises the ONS Director General for Surveys and Economic Statistics, and ONS Head of Profession, who are attendees of the UK Statistics Authority Board.

Secretariat

Staff from the UK Statistics Authority’s Centre for Applied Data Ethics (CADE) provide dedicated Secretariat support to the Committee.

Person specification

We are seeking candidates with an interest in enabling ethical collection, access, use and sharing of data for research and statistical purposes.

We are looking for candidates who:

• Feel they can represent a general public audience;
• Are engaged in their wider community;
• Have good knowledge of sociocultural issues related to use of public data;
• Can comprehend complex information and engage in discussion;
• Can provide robust challenge;
• Can think critically, weigh arguments and reach balanced decisions;
• Are able to work as part of a team and engage in collective decision-making; and
• Are interested in helping to maintain public trust in the UK statistical system.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Time commitment

Members commit to attending NSDEC meetings for 4 half-days per year. Committee members are also asked to review up to 3 applications for ethics review per month, sent via email correspondence.

Timing of the appointments

The successful candidates will be appointed by the end of May 2026, with their first meeting scheduled for 2 June 2026. The other meeting dates for 2026 are:

• 1 September
• 19 November

Location

NSDEC meetings are usually virtual meetings, although the committee may, on occasion, meet in person with a venue provided in London for those attending.

Remuneration

These posts are non-remunerated. All reasonable travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed.

Period of appointment

The appointment will be for an initial period of three years. The possibility of renewal for a further similar period will be available at the discretion of the Chair.

Conflicts of interest

Candidates should not have interests that would be likely to conflict with their responsibilities as a member of NSDEC. Please declare any potential conflict of interest as early as possible in the selection process and also disclose information or personal connections that might, if successful, be open to misperception.