Replacing the Research Accreditation Service

The Research Accreditation Service (RAS) serves as the researcher and project accreditation service for users of both the Secure Research Service (SRS) and the Integrated Data Service (IDS).

RAS is provided to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by a third-party organisation, with the current contract due to end in spring 2025. To ensure we continue to provide an accreditation service that will meet the needs of SRS and IDS users, the ONS has developed a plan to replace the current service.

Two new systems have therefore been designed to service the different user requirements:

• Project Accreditation Service for SRS (PASS)
• People and Projects Service (PPS)

In preparation for the switch to the new services, there will be a brief period where RAS is closed to migrate data to PASS and PPS.

As such, no new applications can be started or submitted in RAS from Friday 4 April.

PASS and PPS will then be available from Tuesday 29 April.

During this window, users will not be able to start accredited researcher applications, new project applications or request changes to live projects. 

Users with in-progress researcher and project applications that have not been completed before Friday 4 April will be contacted directly to progress their application.

From Tuesday 29 April this will be managed by the new People and Projects Service (PPS).

PPS is a part of the Integrated Data Service (IDS) infrastructure and will service accreditations for researchers looking to become accredited for the first time, and those looking to re-accredit once existing accreditation has lapsed.

PPS will provide researcher accreditation for all accredited researchers, not just users of the IDS.

Users should continue to use RAS until 4 April 2025.

This page will be updated with further information once PPS is ready for use.

From Tuesday 29 April, accredited researchers looking to use the Secure Research Service (SRS) or the Integrated Data Service (IDS), will have different routes to obtain project accreditation.

Users of the IDS will continue to use PPS for their project accreditation.

Users of the SRS will use the Project Accreditation Service for SRS (PASS). PASS will provide the equivalent functionality of the existing RAS system, however, will be tailored towards users of the SRS.

All researchers should continue to use RAS until 4 April 2025.

This page will be updated with further information once PASS and PPS are ready for use.

If you have any questions about the replacement of RAS, or about researcher or project accreditation for the SRS, please contact srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk.

If you have any questions about researcher or project accreditation for the IDS, please contact ids.customer.support@ons.gov.uk.