News and Blog

14 novel projects were approved in the 2022 Data Science and AI Masters Project scheme which closed in early spring.  Partnering with businesses, charities and the public sector, these exciting projects will commence over the coming months. 

Did you miss the deadline? Your last opportunity to apply. 

Following this success, we are pleased to announce the opening of a June flash funding round which will provide even more organisations to benefit from the expertise of postgraduate students funded to take on your data challenges.

Together with the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (CSEE) and the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, this scheme will take on real-world challenges with the help of the next generation of data scientists and AI experts from one of the world’s leading Universities to tackle real industry projects.

We received a fantastic variety of project proposals from organisations both small and large across the UK during the 2021-2022 round in addition to requests to relaunch the scheme.  As a result, we have opened a new flash funding round in order to be responsive to our stakeholder's needs, creating more opportunities to collaborate.

The scheme is now officially open for applications, with the close date 27th June 2022.

As with previous rounds we are also offering virtual consultations to discuss project ideas and scope research projects, providing support during the application process. 

Please email BLGDataResearch@essex.ac.uk to request your application form or to book a free consultation with the senior research team to discuss your project ideas.

The Data Science and AI Masters Projects are back for 2022 as postgraduate students are funded to take on your data challenges.

This is your opportunity to access experts in analytics to bring your project to life. Analysing your data, deploying machine learning or applying an advanced algorithm could transform the way you work forever.

Become one of the selected organisations in the UK to benefit from this ground breaking new scheme and find out why the most successful organisations today use analytics in their work.

In 2021, the Centre funded the next generation of data scientists and AI experts from one of the world’s leading Universities to tackle real industry projects.

Combining the best of our successful Data Analytics Innovation Vouchers (DAIV) with the well-established University of Essex Masters students projects, now organisations can benefit from specialist analytics expertise provided by some of the brightest students from Masters programmes.

The sheer variety of projects and breadth of organisations that benefited from the data science and AI expertise we provided 2021 demonstrates its potential to offer valuable knowledge as we applied the most cutting edge techniques. From creating safer staffing models in the NHS to detecting illegal maritime activity, our Masters students tackled the big challenges faced across the UK.

Following the success of the projects, we are pleased to announce the opening of a further funding round as we bring you the 2022 Data Science and AI Project scheme.

"We are pleased to enable more organisations to collaborate with us through the popular Data Science and AI Masters Projects in 2022. Data are quickly becoming the factor that defines an organisation's success.

This year we are creating new opportunities for businesses, third and public sectors to benefit from advanced analytics and AI expertise." - Professor Maria Fasli, UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Health at University of Essex and Director of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre

In the 2022 rapid funding round, organisations can expect visible results and cutting edge innovation, as students undertake advanced analytics applying expertise and skills that would otherwise remain within the walls of academia. Projects will commence in either June or September 2022 and will be delivered over a 10-week period.

"Data Science and AI Masters Projects bring together talented Essex postgraduate students and researchers, partners across sectors, and the expertise of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, to deliver impactful data projects.

"The collaboration is agile, innovative, and designed to succeed, and our experience indicates that partners as well as students want to continue working together. Therefore, we are excited to support this program and its stakeholders in a new round of projects." - Dr Alejandro Quiroz Flores, Reader and Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Government, Deputy Director of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre.

The scheme is now officially open for applications, with the close date 17th February 2022.

Please email BLGDataResearch@essex.ac.uk to request your application form or to book a free consultation with the senior research team to discuss your project ideas.

Southend Carers is one of two charities awarded grant funded data analytics support from the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre during the most recent round of funding.

Thanks to the Data Analytics Innovation Voucher scheme, for the first time, Southend Carers will receive in depth research support to bring their data to life. The project, which is being led by Senior Research Officer Dr Husam Quteineh, is set to uncover the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of carers as well as the true impact of caregiving on the individual.

Internationally renowned experts from the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre will also be exploring the connection between the socio-economic characteristics of carers and the value of caregiving.

This insight will be used to shape the programme of support provided by Southend Carers which includes enabling carers of all ages to live healthy lives.

Dawnette Fessey, CEO of Southend Carers said, ‘Carers make a significant contribution within their communities, which is often overlooked. Southend Carers is so happy to have been selected to receive the voucher, and we consider it an amazing opportunity to work in partnership to explore the impact caring has on the lives and wellbeing, of those carers living in Southend. This research will help us as a community to understand know more about Carers; inspire us to create and offer innovative support services for the most vulnerable, and hopefully reduce disadvantage and barriers to access.’

The research project conducted by the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre will also contribute to the national picture of unpaid carers in the UK.

The charity Southend Carers was also one of many organisations benefiting from a free voluntary sector workshop focused on designing a data strategy. This session facilitated by the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre was delivered as part of a programme of support for voluntary, public and private sectors. 

The Centre uses cutting edge data analytics to inform practice and influence policy across the UK and works with charities and the third sector on grant funded data analytics support projects.

Due to popular demand and feedback from our stakeholders, we are pleased to announce that we have extended the deadline for Data Science and AI Project Placements to 30th June 2021.

By extending the deadline we hope to enable more businesses, charities and public sector organisations to benefit from this unique opportunity.

To further support our stakeholders, we are offering free consultations with the senior research team to assist you in shaping projects to ensure organisations reap the full benefit of the scheme.

For the first time organisations across the UK can benefit from the next generation of data scientists and AI experts as we bring you the University of Essex’s brightest students from our Masters programmes.

Combining the best of our successful Data Analytics Innovation Voucher (DAIV) scheme with the well-established University of Essex Masters student placement programme, now organisations can benefit from specialist analytics expertise through Masters students on the organisation’s key challenges.

Professor Maria Fasli, UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health, and Director of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, said "The Data Science and AI Project Placements provide a unique opportunity to organisations to undertake a novel project benefitting from specialist skills in advanced analytics of a Masters level student supervised by highly experienced researchers and academics at the Centre and the University of Essex."

In this rapid funding round, organisations can expect visible results and cutting edge innovation, as students undertake advanced analytics applying expertise and skills that would otherwise remain within the walls of academia.

Dr Alejandro Quiroz Flores, Reader and Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Government, and Deputy Director of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, said "This is a unique opportunity for agile work with talented students under the supervision of world-leading experts in data science and AI. The framework also benefits from the Centre’s unique experience working with the private and public sectors in order to deliver rigorous insight that directly contributes to meeting business goals."

The Data Science and AI Project Placements commence in September 2021 with the projects being delivered over a 10-week period.

The scheme is now officially open for applications, with the close date 21st June 2021.

Please email BLGDataResearch@essex.ac.uk to request your application form.

The way we communicate continues to evolve as social media plays an increasingly prominent part of our lives. With this shift in communication patterns, interest in emoji grows.  Research to date has compared emoji to their predecessor, the emoticon, looking at simple statistics such as frequency of usage.

Today, researchers are building up a more complete understanding of the role emoji play in human communication, by studying the linguistic properties of emoji in comparison with languages like English.

In our latest research collaboration, our senior research officer Dr Farhana Liza joins forces with University of Edinburgh, Utrecht University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Alan Turing Institute to conduct the first longitudinal study of how emoji semantics change over time.

The study involved applying techniques from computational linguistics to over six years’ worth of Twitter data.

Dr Farhana Liza said ‘We identified five patterns in emoji semantic development and found evidence that the less abstract an emoji is, the more likely it is to undergo semantic change.’

As well as finding distinct patterns of development, the report also provides useful insight into selected emoji in more detail, examining the effect of seasonality and world events on emoji semantics.

The research aims to encourage further exploration and discussion of emoji semantics, potentially leading to an understanding of what factors drive semantic change in emoji. To support this, the data is available as an interactive dashboard where anyone can explore how much any emoji's semantics have changed, as well as which words it was most similar to each year and in individual months.

Full details of the study can be found in the research paper, which will be presented at the 4th International Workshop on Emoji Understanding and Applications in Social Media.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities in the UK used social media to raise awareness and provide guidance and advice about the disease to students and staff. In our latest research, the researchers explain why some universities used social media to communicate with stakeholders sooner than others.

To do so, the team used computer science methods to identify the date of the first COVID-19 related tweet posted by each university in the country and used survival models to estimate the effect of university-specific characteristics on the timing of these messages.

The results published in PLOS ONE, found that universities with larger numbers of students are more likely to use social media and the web to speak about the pandemic sooner than institutions with fewer students. Universities with larger financial resources are also more likely to tweet sooner, but they do not introduce Covid-19 webpages faster than other universities. We also find evidence of a strong process of emulation, whereby universities are more likely to post a coronavirus-related tweet or webpage if other universities have already done so.

Regarding the research, Professor Alejandro Quiroz Flores, deputy director of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (BLG) said ‘As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, higher education institutions emerged as a key source of trust. In order to explore the role of universities in the management of the crisis in the UK, an interdisciplinary team of social and computer scientists at the BLG and London South Bank University joined forces to design one of the first studies of the timing of university crisis communication in the UK during the pandemic.’

‘In one of our most striking results, we find that universities learn from each other. This suggests that there is a space for leadership and an opportunity for coordination during crises, which could allow the system to learn more quickly and respond more effectively to emergencies.

At the BLG, we are particularly proud of this research project, as it is an excellent example of the approach that the Centre and its partners use to understand crucial policy challenges using data and rigorous quantitative and computational methods.’

In addition to Professor Alejandro Quiroz Flores, the research was completed by senior research officers Dr Farhana Liza, Dr Husam Quteineh and Associate Professor Dr Barbara Czarnecka.

Adding to the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre’s multi-disciplinary team, Dr Achbari provides an additional layer of expertise in data analytics. With specialisms in advanced quantitative research methods and analysis, our partners will now benefit from even greater data analytics support including areas such as social cohesion, crime, generalised trust, ethnic diversity and inequality.

Dr Achbari explores fascinating research areas. She aims to understand the processes behind crime, the creation and loss of generalised trust, and confidence in governments as well as the effect of ethnic diversity and inequality on these phenomena. Dr Achbari reported ‘Throughout my career, I have aspired to pose and answer research questions that follow from methodological and empirical lacunas, which have dictated collecting novel data and employing cutting-edge techniques.’

With clarity and motivation, Dr Achbari described her two main objectives within the Centre as ‘(1) to provide practitioners with behavioural insights for public policy in the face of uncertainty; (2) to contribute to theory-driven social science research by means of causal inference.’

Project Manager, Nigel Kirby added ‘We are delighted to welcome Wahideh. With her research specialisms, she will make an immediate impact to our stakeholders whilst contributing towards the Centre's fundamental research and data analytics.’

The innovative approach taken by the senior research officers including Dr Achbari ensures organisations from a broad range of sectors feel the full benefit that data analytics has to offer. The Centre’s team of senior research officers provide data analytics training, present at international events as well as deliver high profile projects funded through the Data Analytics Innovation Voucher scheme.

Dr Achbari said ‘I am pleased to join the Centre and look forward to working with organisations across the UK to explore their data needs. It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to turn my research into outputs that extend beyond the academic world and into those that have the potential to improve society and influence policy for the greater good.'

2021 looks set to bring new challenges in the wake of an era of pandemics. But challenges bring new opportunities, opportunities to make full use of the data analytics capabilities the Centre possesses, through research driven approaches that combine the very best of human potential, AI and machine learning. This is why the effective use of data is needed now more than ever for both business and the public and third sectors.

Due to the continued success of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, we are seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and professional candidate who has a quantitative social sciences background.

Join our passionate multidisciplinary team, to turn your expertise in socio-economic research into impact creating change at a local and national level.  Progress your social sciences research into transformative change, influencing policy, and improving practice.

This role is ideal for those with an excellent publication record and those with a potential to develop an internationally leading profile in the field.

If you are a data scientist or researcher with expertise including (but not limited) to preventative public policy, economic growth, crime or health research, then this is the role for you.

You will have the opportunity to work across the three Business and Local Government Data Research Centre priority areas of:

• Supporting vulnerable people (such as identifying potential contributors to mental health crises in people with existing mental health problems; supporting mental health from the first point of contact; preventative public services models).
• Understanding factors affecting economic growth (such as predictive models; understanding SMEs absorptive capacity).
• Methodologies and techniques for data science and artificial intelligence.

This unique role is part-funded by the prestigious Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as well as the University of Essex, which has been the intellectual home of the world’s leading experts in data science for over 50 years.

You can view the job advert and apply online.

The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre has launched its next round of funding enabling organisations across the UK to receive thousands of pounds worth of data analytics support.

Businesses, charities and the public sector have a unique opportunity to engage with the Centre's senior research officers to bring a research project to life. Now more than ever, organisations need to turn data into insight for informed decision making, predict future demand and make full use of the knowledge that data can bring.

As part of the Centre's 'Bounce back from COVID-19' support being provided to organisations, it is delivering a webinar on how to apply for a Data Analytics Innovation Voucher on Zoom on 9th September 2020.

This webinar is designed to give organisations the essential information required to apply for grant funded data analytics support.

Applications will be opening on 31st August, with a deadline of 31st October 2020, so now is the ideal time to begin planning your application.

Adding to the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre's international team of experts, Dr Chatsiou brings a wealth of experience on natural language processing and programme evaluation, enhancing the Centre's ability to support organisations with their data analytics needs.

Dr Chatsiou’s research focuses on applying innovative models of text mining to address key challenges when analysing textual and other forms of unstructured data including political texts and social media.  A specialist in Natural Language Processing and with a proven track record of enhancing organisations' ability to use data, Dr Chatsiou has supported a range of public sector bodies and charities. She has worked on data analytics projects but embedding a legacy of data sustainability by delivering expert training, enhancing data literacy and analytics capabilities.

Dr Chatsiou said: “I am very excited to have joined the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, a world leading centre of expertise in data analytics at the University of Essex. I am especially looking forward to contributing my expertise in natural language processing and data science to help support local businesses and voluntary sector organisations and empowering them to improve their services and data capabilities.”

Having worked in partnership with the Centre for many years, we are thrilled Dr Chatsiou is now a formal member of the team, joining Dr Philip Broniecki, Dr Farhana Liza, Dr Luke Abbs and Husam Quteineh as Senior Research Officers.

Nigel Kirby, Project Manager said "I am delighted to welcome Kakia, who is an enthusiastic and dynamic colleague, and will add immediate and continuing impact, to the Centre and our stakeholders."

Look out for the series of webinars released in 2020 featuring Dr Chatsiou as she provides valuable insight for organisations into how they can maximise their use of their data, the power of effective impact assessment, evaluating services using data and many other topics.

The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre has launched a flash grant funding round enabling organisations across the UK to receive thousands of pounds worth of data analytics support.

From measuring impact to predicting future demand, businesses, charities and the public sector have a unique opportunity to engage with the Centre's senior research officers to bring a project to life. Now more than ever, organisations need to turn data into insight for informed decision making, predict future demand and make full use of the knowledge that data can bring.

As part of the launch of the flash funding round, the Centre is delivering a webinar on how to apply for a Data Analytics Innovation Voucher on Zoom on 10th June 2020.

This webinar is designed to give organisations the essential information required to apply for grant funded data analytics support.

Deadline for grant applications is 3rd July 2020. Please email BLGDataResearch@essex.ac.uk if you have any queries.

Two regional charities were amongst the organisations awarded grant-funded data analytics support during the recent round of Data Analytics Innovation Vouchers (DAIVs).

Data Analytics Innovation Vouchers (DAIVs) enable organisations across the UK to benefit from thousands of pounds worth of cutting edge data analytics expertise. From predicting the deterioration of roads to in-depth impact assessment, DAIVs use the power of data to solve real-world challenges faced by businesses, charities and the public sector.

Those successfully awarded DAIVs have the opportunity to work with the Centre's international team of senior research officers to unlock the hidden potential held within data, with projects designed to improve practice and influence policy.

Laura Brookes, Outreach and Publicity Officer for the Centre, said, "The DAIV scheme has never been more popular and we are proud to create more opportunities for organisations to benefit from the support we provide."

Find out more about the DAIVs and how to apply or email BLGDataResearch@essex.ac.uk to book your consultation. 

The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre has joined the South East Digital Skills Partnership.

The Partnership has received government funding to help tackle digital skills challenges in the South East, which will help boost the local economy.

Read the story.

The meaning of humanity extends beyond academia and is woven through every thread of human existence, creating a fibre from past to future.

But the future of humanity has been a matter of debate since the first great thinkers in the ancient civilisations who conveyed thought through paper and pictograms.

This month we speak to Senior Research Officer Husam Quteineh and Research and Project Support Officer Victor Perez Cester who provide insight into the challenges ahead and what we can learn from the past as we move towards a hyper-connected civilisation.

Victor Perez Cester has focused on the area for many years and through a computer engineering and data science lense he explores the boundaries of predictive models and how to preserve the privacy of sensitive data. He remarked ‘Although today we have a very different understanding of life, our deepest worries about the future of humankind remain attached to our most ancestral being.’

The threat of digital evolution or the opportunity of data revolution?

In modern societies, understanding the world that surrounds us has become a luxury for some privileged minds, where some people fail to achieve peace between their biological being and the social acceptance, they find themselves living in an unequal and unfair economic order unconsciously striving to remain socially connected.

As the world changes at an ever increasing pace, it is clear digital platforms and the use of data will continue to pick up pace.

The dimensions of modern human existence and the world around us are producing more data than ever before. This increased volume and complexity of data has challenged existing infrastructure and shown a critical need for innovative systems to manage this flow without compromising privacy.

Federated Learning Models

One such solution is Federated Learning Models (FLM), a new approach to a growing issue. But what exactly is this new method of data analytics and could it be the solution to an archaic digital structure showing the cracks of time?

Husam Quteineh has been focusing on the use of FLM to enable cross sector collaborative research using this new privacy-enhancing technology.

He explains that ‘Federated Learning is a method for remotely training prediction models while keeping all the training data on device. In this setting, data owners and researchers can collaborate on solving prediction tasks without sharing their data.’

What does the future hold?

‘Although there is still a long journey ahead, the theoretical implications of privacy-preserving algorithms are astonishing and present modern society with a different path to wisdom; a path were users can maintain sovereign control over personal data whilst we, as a society, can still use it to answer the most important questions yet to be answered.’ Victor Perez Cester.

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The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre uses data analytics to improve practice and inform policy.

In this blog we ask the Senior Research Officer Dr Smruti Bulsari, Business and Local Government Data Research Centre to share the insight she has gained through her 20 years of award-winning research in the field of inequalities in light of the Levelling Up Agenda.

Published this month in Apolitical, Project Manager, Nigel Kirby shares his top tips for bringing projects to fruition in the public sector.

As public sector pressures continue to mount, underpinning an organisation's success or failure is its ability to bring projects to life. At the Centre, we take a research-driven approach to creating improvements for all. In this article Nigel highlights the key problem the public sector faces when managing projects, why it matters and how an appropriate project management framework could be the solution.

'As a project manager working in the public sector, it is important to understand the need for transparency and accountability in all aspects of a project which is being publicly funded.' Nigel Kirby, Project Manager, ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre.

Read the article at apolitical.co.

Essex Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) consists of Essex County Council, Essex Police and the University of Essex.  A partnership of data analysts ensures collaborative working across the county.

As ECDA celebrates its first year in operation, they have achieved many successes.

Thanks to training delivered the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre and our continued support, the ECDA analysts are now implementing innovative data analytics techniques for impact across Essex.

Read more at the Essex County Council blog.

Every organisation comes to our Centre with different amounts and types of data.

The first step in applying to receive grant funded data analytics support through the DAIV scheme is to complete a simple expression of interest. This is the start of the planning process and will help you shape your project whilst helping us to ensure you receive the right support. 

Top tips from the research team

Have clear data objectives

• What does the world look like when your organisation has fulfilled its mission?
• How will your organisation achieve its mission? What are the core programmes you undertake?
• What are some of the pain points or challenges your organisation faces?

Understand what data you hold

• What data do you have?
• What does the data represent (e.g. an individual, a state, a survey response)
• What is the background (e.g. location, time, a paragraph on feedback)
• What is the size of the data - for example, how many rows? how many months or years of data? how many countries?
• What format is the data in (e.g. Excel, PDF, csv) and how is it organised?

Define your project

• What data science project do you think would help you address these issues or objectives?
• What data would you like to use for this project?

The privacy of your data is incredibly important to us. We take data privacy issues very seriously and we will work with you to ensure that we are all comfortable with the treatment of sensitive data.  It is therefore essential that you comply with our Data Sharing Agreements and GDPR. Please do not hesitate to email us at BLGdataresearch@essex.ac.uk with any questions.

Understand any privacy and information compliance issues

• Who created the data (do you own the data)?
• Will you be able to transfer the data if the project is approved so that your allocated researcher can complete the analytics?
• Do you have the appropriate permission from your clients (if applicable)?
• Are you committed to using data to make decisions, explore patterns, improve services and meet objectives?

The key to a successful data analytics project is to have a well-defined question in mind and a clear objective.

If you need help exploring what is possible with the data you hold or would like to discuss a project in more detail then please contact BLGdataresearch@essex.ac.uk to book your free virtual consultation with our expert team.