T1023 - Understanding Society Wave 16: Blood Sample Analysis

Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) is a longitudinal social survey of households and individuals living in the UK. For Understanding Society, data collection began in January 2009 and participants are interviewed annually. In the second and third waves (2010-12) a wide range of objective health measures were collected by a nurse, including venous blood samples from which we produced a range of analytes, extracted DNA and produced genetic and epigenetic data. This data has been extensively used by the public health and social science research communities. This contract covers a wave of bio-data collection at Wave 16 (2024-26), with the emphasis being on participants collecting samples/measurements themselves. The survey is designed and managed by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex.

At Wave 16 of Understanding Society (2024-2026) we are planning to collect a range of biomarkers. This includes asking participants for their permission to send them a kit to enable them to collect a capillary blood sample and return it to a laboratory for analysis, with some results being fed-back to participants (HDL, HbA1c, Total Cholesterol), others provided to the research community and blood stored for future use.

Collection of the capillary blood sample should enable measurement of analytes that overlap with those collected at Waves 2 and 3 from venous blood.

The successful contractor will be responsible for the kit fulfilment, sample analysis, reporting, aliquoting and short term storage of the blood samples.