About ISER

Social and economic research at Essex since 1989

ISER produces and analyses longitudinal data, builds the microsimulation models used in policy analysis, and advances the methods behind survey research.

100+
specialists across a wide range of disciplines
£19m+
research income annually
150+
PhD graduates supervised
35+
years of longitudinal evidence

Originally established in 1989 at the University of Essex to house the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), ISER has grown into a leading centre for the production and analysis of longitudinal studies. It encompasses the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change and the successor to the BHPS, Understanding Society. As well as providing unrivalled postgraduate study opportunities, ISER is home to the Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis, building on our history of creating EUROMOD the tax-benefit microsimulation model for the European Union, UKMOD for the UK and constituent nations, and microsimulation models for over 60 countries across the world. Our survey design experts advise policy makers and innovate new methods and techniques. ISER leads Survey Futures, the ESRC-funded survey data collection methods collaboration. Survey Futures aims to deliver a step chance in suvey research to ensure it will remain possible in the UK to carry out high quality social surveys to provide evidence for policy making.

Our history

Building evidence for over three decades

Scroll horizontally to explore milestones. When focused, use the left and right arrow keys.

  1. 1989

    ISER and the ESRC Centre for Micro-Social Research formed

  2. 1990

    British Household Panel Survey starts

  3. 1994

    ISER leads on creating the NS-SEC, the official measure of social class in the UK

  4. 1996

    EUROMOD, ground-breaking microsimulation model, is established


  5. 2009

    Understanding Society, the UK’s largest ever longitudinal study, starts collecting data


  6. 2018

    ISER is awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for outstanding excellence


  7. 2020

    Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis is created


  8. 2022

    Survey Futures launched 


Celebrating 30 years of ISER

ISER has been at the forefront of social science innovation for almost 40 years, always with a strong focus on developing research talent, supervising PhD students, and mentoring early career researchers. I am delighted to be supporting our excellent research teams as their research agendas expand and evolve

Paul Clarke, Director