Professor Elliott’s published work focusses on methods for combining qualitative and quantitative research, gender and employment, and healthy ageing
Professor Jane Elliott awarded CBE for services to social sciences
A University of Exeter sociologist who has had a leading role in managing longitudinal studies which give vital information about the wellbeing of the nation has been awarded CBE in the New Year’s Honours list.
Professor Jane Elliott has managed and led analysis for major longitudinal surveys which follow the lives of thousands of people. These studies provide resources, used by researchers across the world, to understand the consequences of inequality and the factors affecting physical and mental wellbeing over the life course.
Before joining the Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology in September 2017 Professor Elliott was the Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) from 2014 and 2017. From 2007 to 2014 she was Executive Director and then Director of the ESRC-funded Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) which manages the 1958, 1970 and Millennium Birth Cohort Studies and the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England. During this time Professor Elliott was instrumental in securing funding from ESRC to conduct a set of over 200 qualitative interviews with members of the 1958 cohort at age fifty. These interviews are now available as a resource for researchers. She also played a major role in fostering collaboration between the UK’s unique portfolio of cohort and longitudinal studies, as founding director of CLOSER.
While she was Chief Executive of the ESRC Professor Elliott took on the role of ‘International Champion’ for Research Councils UK. This included working closely with the Research Council UK offices in Washington, Beijing and New Delhi, representing the UK on the Governing Board of Science Europe, and taking a lead in launching the Global Challenge Research Fund.
Professor Elliott’s published work focusses on methods for combining qualitative and quantitative research, gender and employment, and healthy ageing. She is currently working on understanding the factors that influence quality of life in middle age. Her first book Using Narrative in Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches’ was published by Sage in 2005. A second edition of the book Exploring Data’, was published by Polity Press in 2010.
Date: 30 December 2019