T1148 - Blood Sample Collection and Analysis

Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) is a longitudinal social survey of households and individuals living in the UK. Data collection began in January 2009 and participants are interviewed annually. In Waves 2 and 3 of the Study (2010-13) a wide range of objective health measures were collected via a nurse visit, including venous blood samples from which we produced a range of analytes, extracted DNA and produced genetic and epigenetic data. A similar exercise is being undertaken at Wave 16 (2024-26), where the nurse visit has been replaced by participants collecting samples/measurements themselves. This contract covers the data collection and analysis for a further bio-data collection on the Study's Innovation Panel (2027) ahead of a potential roll out on the main Study sample at Wave 22 (2030-32). The Study is designed and managed by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex ("the University").