GSR Research Officer Scheme
Join us as a Research Officer to launch a brilliant career in Government Social Research.
The GSR Research Officer Graduate Scheme is open for applications from 3 February 2025 – 27 February 2025, 13:55
About Government Social Research (GSR)
We are the professional body for social researchers in the Civil Service. Our social researchers study and analyse various aspects of society, like people’s behaviour, opinions, and needs. This then helps the government make informed decisions.
We recruit students, graduates, and apprentices to work in over 30 government departments across the UK, from the Ministry of Justice to the Office for National Statistics. With over 2,500 members working across government, you will be joining an established community of social research professionals, getting access to all the training, networking, and access opportunities that come with being part of a social research community that has a diverse array of experiences and professional knowledge.
What would I do as a Research Officer?
Government social researchers play a critical role in gathering, analysing, and interpreting the information which forms the foundation for decision making for policies which affect every UK resident.
As a Research Officer working in the Civil Service, you would contribute through analysis of social trends, development of government policy, and evaluation of how policies make a difference to public services.
Your work might involve developing surveys, analysing data, producing statistics, reviewing existing research evidence, and working with other analysts in government to provide timely and relevant briefings for policy colleagues and ministers.
Where would I work?
Where would I work?
This year, we have opportunities available in the following locations: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Salford, Sheffield. Location varies by government department, please check the for details.
How much would I get paid?
Salaries vary according to department and location, so please check the for details. This is the minimum you would be paid: London: £37,170 / Nationwide: £33,015
Why join the GSR Research Officer Scheme?
There are many benefits to working in the Civil Service. Here are just a few:
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Meaningful work that that makes a difference to society
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Opportunities in a wide range of government departments across the UK
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Ongoing learning and development opportunities
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Flexible working
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25 days annual leave (+8 public holidays)
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Competitive pension scheme
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Inclusive working environment
Who is eligible?
Government Social Research (GSR) members come from a range of social science related backgrounds.
There are two entry routes into the GSR Research Officer Scheme:
Qualification Route Eligibility Criteria
You are eligible to apply for this route if you meet the following criteria:
· Hold an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at a minimum of a 2:2 in a relevant subject by August 2025
· The relevant degree must contain a minimum of 30% in social research methods covering all the criteria outlined below (it is not sufficient to hold the majority in one area – coverage across all areas is required)
It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate these criteria clearly on the application.
Experience Route Eligibility Criteria
You are eligible to apply for this route if you meet the following criteria:
· Hold an undergraduate degree, at a minimum of 2:2 in any subject; and have at least 4 years social research practice experience
· To apply via this route, you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills, which must include the social research method degree content criteria noted in the qualification route section. You need to provide evidence of quantitative research methods and three of the following:
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Systematic/literature reviews
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Qualitative methods
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Interpretation of data and presentation of results
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Study design and hypothesis testing and application of ethics to research.
Social Research Method Degree Content Criteria
To qualify as a relevant subject, a degree must include quantitative research methods including research design, data collection (i.e., questionnaire design, sampling, weighting) and data analysis (e.g., statistical analysis).
It must also include at least three of the following:
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Qualitative methods, including research design, data collection (i.e., interviewing, focus groups, ethnographic), data analysis (e.g., thematic analysis)
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Study design, hypothesis formation, testing and evaluation
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Systematic/literature reviews
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interpretation of data (qualitative and quantitative), presentation of results, provision of recommendations/ conclusions
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Application of ethics to research
It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate these criteria clearly on their application. Please ensure you indicate the number of credits associated with the relevant modules covering your social research methods training.
Join our Virtual Q&A Session
We are holding an online Q&A session via Microsoft Teams for anyone who is considering applying. Join us to hear from some current research officers and a member of the recruitment team. This will take place on:
Thursday 13 February 2025, 16:30 – 17:30, join the meeting now
Nationality requirements
The Civil Service Nationality Rules are written into law, they are exempt from the Equality Act 2010 and must be followed. They outline who can and cannot work in the Civil Service.
In summary, from 1 January 2021 broadly the following groups will be able to work in non-reserved posts within the Civil Service:
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UK nationals
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Nationals of Commonwealth countries
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Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
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EEA nationals with (or eligible for) status under the EUSS
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Relevant EEA or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
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Relevant EEA or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
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Certain family members of the relevant EU & Turkish nationals
A reserved post can be filled only by UK Nationals. A non-reserved post is open to nationals from the countries and associations of countries outlined above. These posts are non-reserved posts.
If you fail to follow these rules the appointment will be deemed illegal. Your employment will be terminated with immediate effect.
The Government Recruitment Service (GRS) checks candidates against the nationality rules as part of the pre-employment checks.
Right to work: immigration requirements
You must have the right to work in the United Kingdom and meet the Immigration and Visa requirements for the scheme.
Further details can be found on the Gov.uk Visas and Immigration page
Before the appointment of the successful candidate can be confirmed, the employing department will undertake background security checks. As part of these, we will need to confirm your identity, course details over the past three years (or employment details if you were in employment), nationality and immigration status, and criminal record (unspent convictions only).
All employees must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity, right to work in the UK, employment history and, where relevant, details of any criminal record. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.
Additionally, some roles within the government will require you to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC), or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment.
To meet CTC, SC or DV requirements, you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3, 5 or 10 years prior to the date of application (the level of checks that are required are stated in the advert; more information on the levels can be found here ). If you do not satisfy the residency criteria, an application may be submitted and a decision will be made on a case by case basis; consideration will be given to where you lived, how long you were out of the UK and why you were abroad.
If you are applying for a role requiring security clearance, please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However, certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.
All offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of BPSS and National Security Vetting. Candidates should not resign from their current job until these checks have been successfully completed.
Resources for applicants
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For more information about the recruitment process, see the -
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For more information about roles, salaries and locations, see the -
Social media
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Updates to this page
Published 10 June 2021Last updated 3 February 2025 + show all updates
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The GSR Research Officer Scheme has now opened for applications.
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Our GSR Research Officer Scheme closed for applications on the 18 March 2024. It will reopen in spring 2025.
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Q&A session slides have been added.
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The GSR Research Officer Scheme is now open for applications.
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The scheme is closed and information on when it opens in February 2024 has been added
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Link to Civil Service Jobs posting added. Application closing date updated. Candidate guide and example job descriptions added.
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Q&A Session information added.
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Application dates changed for the 2023 GSR Mainstream Campaign.
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Updated - Scheme now open
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Update on 2022 scheme dates
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Candidate pack and job description uploaded
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Candidate pack and job description have been uploaded
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First published.