Research support
On this page
ADASS is committed to encouraging and supporting high quality, timely, adult social care research. Good research makes things better for people who draw on, and work in, care and support.
Historically, ADASS has offered an approvals process through which research proposals would be reviewed. Lists of projects approved through this process are available below. Going forward, ADASS will offer a more flexible review and support offer to researchers, while at the same time engaging more creatively with regions and academic partners to influence priorities and support capacity building.
More details on our work programme will be available in the coming months. If you would like to know more, please contact paul.buddery@adass.org.uk
Adult social care research top tips
ADASS believes that research can lead to better care and support and better lives. ADASS believes that it is most likely to do so when research is with adult social care, rather than into adult social care. By working collaboratively, we can ensure that research questions are relevant, methods are practical, and findings have real-world impact for people drawing on care and support.
One of the roles of the ADASS Research Group is to encourage strong learning relationships between our members, academics and other researchers.
To support this, the group has developed a set of top tips to help and encourage researchers engage fruitfully with local authorities and avoid possible misunderstandings.
Apply now: NIHR SSCR Practice Evaluation Scheme for adult social care practitioners
The NIHR School for Social Care Research‘s exciting new Practice Evaluation Scheme is now open for applications. Through this funding, practitioners in adult social care can partner with researchers to carry out evaluative projects that test new approaches, frameworks and ideas in their organisations.
Detailed information about the scheme and how social care practitioners can plan, create and submit an application are now available on the Practice Evaluation Scheme section of the SSCR website.
Deadline for applications: 5pm Friday 13th February 2026.
If you have any queries about the scheme, please get in touch with sscr@york.ac.uk.
Here are links to some useful centres of research and evidence.
Please let us know if you know of others which you think ADASS members would be interested in by contacting paul.buddery@adass.org.uk and we’ll add it to the list.
Main research centres
Free-to-access research publications, summaries and evidence
Research advice, funding and programmes
- RSS Specialist Centre for Social Care
- NIHR social care research funding opportunities – https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/social-care/social-care-research-at-nihr or https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/social-care
- Details of all the Policy Research Units (PRUs) and links to them can be found here.
- Details of all the Evidence Synthesis Groups and links to them can be found here.
ADASS Research Group blogs
Launching the ADASS Research Group: Influencing the future of social care
We can all agree social care is complex. But does that help?
