The Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) is an important element in the ESRC data infrastructure for population and public health research in Northern Ireland and across the constituent countries of the UK. It has strategic relationships with the other UKCenLSs and, within Northern Ireland, with the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), the Public Health Agency (PHA), and the Honest Broker Service (HBS). Its 28% sample, which combines census data with administrative data from the healthcard register, social care, and housing, will span the period 1981-2021 when the link to the 2021 Census is completed. This enables the description and analysis of changing populations in changing places, individual fortunes over the life course, household contexts, as well as progress between successive generations. The grant will fund, until 2025, the NILS Research Support Unit (NILS-RSU) which has the functions of maintaining a secure data laboratory for users to work on these data safely, of supporting users from project application to publication, of promoting NILS-based research to policymakers and the public, of seeking new users through the promotion of the NILS, and of encouraging research for the public benefit. A major highlight of our work programme will be testing, using and developing research around the 2021 Census link. The NILS-RSU will also seek to widen the social and educational base of the NILS in Northern Ireland through engaging with new stakeholders and growing its contribution to education. It will also encourage research using the NILS and the other UK longitudinal studies to contribute to national and international research agendas whilst developing new research partnerships in Northern Ireland.

A recent public health strategy published by the Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety entitled 'Fit and Well - Changing Lives (2012-2022)' [1] has shown that people with a learning disability (LD) represent one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in Northern Ireland (NI). In fact evidence shows that those with a LD across the United Kingdom (UK) are more likely to experience major illnesses, to develop them earlier, and die of them sooner than the population as a whole [2]. Furthermore, even with such a worrying health profile, the LD population is less likely to get some of the evidence-based annual health checks and treatments they need, and continue to face real barriers in accessing services [1] [3]. Most alarming however is the apparent invisibility of LD. Evidence suggests that such inequity often exists and persists among this population because they remain unseen [4]. At present there is no central register detailing the actual number of individuals with LD in NI. As a consequence it is not possible to evaluate the form, context or degree of inequality that may be experienced by this group. This in turn makes it impossible to tailor or to target services or to monitor health in terms of health inequalities for this population. Recently, a 'Research and Information Service Paper' submitted to the Northern Irish Assembly [9] noted that "...according to a review by Marmot in 2010 [10], health inequalities are avoidable and socially unjust...[and]...in order to reduce the steepness of the social gradient in health...actions must be universal, but with a scale and intensity proportionate to the level of disadvantage. Therefore, policies and strategies should target action at those experiencing greater social and economic disadvantage. This approach is termed 'proportionate universalism' [11] and it requires multi-agency working across local and central government, and the voluntary and private sectors" [12]. To begin to pursue and achieve proportionate universalism for the LD population of NI, a multi-disciplinary team comprising academic researchers from Ulster University (UU), University of Bristol (UofB) and senior representatives from the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs) the statutory sector (ARC, Positive Futures) and a LD service user group (COMPASS) aim to exploit, link and maximise the use of existing NI administrative data to (i) begin to expose, exploit and explore LD records wherever they reside in existing Northern Irish (NI) administrative datasets (ii) begin to consider best practice in, and strategize for, the future recording and identification of LD in NI (iii) formulate guidelines to tailor, target and implement support for individuals with LD across NI and (iv) establish an administrative data evidence base upon which to build future research, facilitate future data sharing and enable ongoing action to reduce the health inequalities faced by the LD population in NI. Specifically the study aims to (i) provide a geographical map of LD in NI using available Census data; (ii) profile the demography of the LD population using a range of socio-economic metrics; (iii) profile morbidity and comorbidity of health care problems among the LD population using the Enhanced Prescribing Database and Census health metric data; (iv) exploit NI Mortality data to explore the causes and contexts of death among the NI LD community and (v) stimulate and facilitate 'proportionate universalism' across the region through multi-agency collaboration across local and central government, and the voluntary and private sectors. While the LD population and the project's non-academic partners, the statutory (PHA and NHSCT) and voluntary (ARC, Positive Futures, COMPASS) sectors, will be the primary beneficiaries of the research, the team will also strongly influence how policy is commissioned, and how health care and health promotion services are delivered.

Alcohol is enjoyed by many and while it contributes to the economy, it is also a major cause of early death, illness, lost work days, violence, social problems, relationship difficulties and inequalities. Governments can reduce these harms by taking action to make alcohol less affordable (price policy) and less easily available (availability policy), and by reducing how much it is advertised and promoted (marketing policy). Across the four nations of the United Kingdom (UK), and in Republic of Ireland (ROI), there have been many recent changes in these alcohol policies which have been heavily debated by campaign groups and politicians. There is a need for research to understand the intended and unintended effects of policies, not just on health, but on social, economic and cultural aspects. As Scotland introduced several new policies from 2005 onwards, and put in place extensive structures to support studies to explore their effects, a broad community of alcohol policy researchers has been coming together. The Irish government has recently passed a world-leading set of policies to reduce alcohol harms, but currently there are fewer researchers studying these policies in ROI/NI, and little contact between those who are. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also considering further policy changes. Whilst traditionally seen as a medical issue, it is clear that alcohol consumption and harms are affected by culture and politics. This network therefore proposes to bring together researchers from a wide range of social science and other backgrounds, and to draw others into the field, to deliver on the alcohol policy research needed in UK/ROI over the coming years. Our ACTIVITIES will focus on four themes: Availability, Marketing, Price & Politics and will include: 1) A website, blog and twitter feed; 2) A launch event with researchers and policy partners in Dublin; 3) Open seminars on each of the four themes, each hosted by a different university, with side meetings to build teams for future research; 4) Study visits for 4 selected early career researchers to spend time with more experienced colleagues; 5) A workshop to build capacity on alcohol policy research and give time for teams to develop funding applications; and 6) A UK/ROI open research symposium to which any researchers can submit abstracts to present their work, with invited speakers and free places for early career researchers. The network will be led by Prof. Joe Barry in ROI and Prof. Niamh Fitzgerald in the UK. NF is Professor of Alcohol Policy and specialises in studies drawing on expertise across different academic disciplines to better understand intended and unintended consequences of policy interventions. JB has worked in substance use for 30 years and chairs an expert group set up by the Minister for Health in ROI on which 3 academics from this proposal also sit. NF and JB are joined by 14 co-applicants from 13 institutions across the UK, from 10+ disciplines and with cross-cutting interests in the four themes. The bid will benefit from the active involvement of policy partners from government departments in NI, ROI and Scotland; and public health agencies across the UK. It will link into existing policy groups, including the UK/ROI British Irish Council, and the NI/ROI North South Alcohol Policy Advisory Group. The Institute of Public Health in Ireland, an all island body with a remit to inform public policy in both ROI and NI is an active partner and will provide administrative support to the network. We expect that the network will give rise to new research teams involving UK & ROI academics, and new alcohol policy studies focused within or across the four policy themes. With our partners, we will actively plan for the future of the network beyond the funded period.

This project aims to maximise the policy impact of research already undertaken on walkability, particularly the development of a Real Walkability Network, which has initially been generated as part of the PARC project based on a study area of East Belfast. This project aims to extend the applicability of the developed policy tools to cover the two main cities of Northern Ireland, Belfast and Derry, so that the model then covers 37% of the population and some of the most deprived communities in the region. The project will disseminate the use of this model to practitioners in order to increase the evidence base for interventions in the built environment aimed at promoting physical activity. It will provide a range of benefits for both the academic community and the end users of research. For academics, it will make important contributions to ongoing research on understanding the environmental correlates of physical activity and through engagement with practitioner communities will aim to create a virtuous circle of research, implementation and feedback. For end users it will provide benefits in terms of the establishment of a useful decision-making tool that will enhance the evidence base for environmental interventions for improving physical activity and will provide training and capacity building in its use with the aim of establishing sustainability for its ongoing deployment. The value of the project is reflected in the large number of public bodies that have been willing to become partners, including Belfast and Derry City Councils, Department of Regional Development, Dept of Health Social Services and Public Safety, Public Health Agency and Belfast Healthy Cities, as well as cities in England, who have provided match funding and in kind support of over £88,000. The project will run for 12 months and employ two research assistants to help undertake three separate work packages: Work Package 1: Model consolidation and validation. (Months 1-5) This work package will involve the appointment, training and placement of 2 research assistants to be based in Belfast and Derry City Councils respectively, during which time they will consolidate and extend the model developed for East Belfast so that it has operational coverage of the entire 2 local authority areas. The model will be subject to validation using random checking of critical elements, such as land use and footpath coverage. During this time the research assistants will interact with staff of local authorities and other statutory agencies to begin to build up an understanding of the extent, form and availability of spatial data and the information needs of different partners, including potential links to regional strategies on obesity, active travel and physical activity. Work Package 2: Project integration and sustainability (Months 6-10). Work package 2 will involve a process of integrating the walkability models and other elements of spatial analysis into the existing physical activity-related programmes of the partner organisations to improve their effectiveness, efficiency and accuracy. This stage of the project will also involve developing the capacity of project partners to ensure the sustainability of the place-specific walkability models. Work Package 3: Knowledge dissemination and engagement with wider practitioner communities (Months 11-12) Work Package 3 will involve an evaluation and a report of the benefits, costs and opportunities arising from the operational deployment of walkability models and their integration with other central and local government responsibilities and initiatives. On the basis of this evaluation, a series of workshops will be run in Northern Ireland and the UK. Finally, the findings of the project will be presented at three conferences to disseminate the findings to different academic and practitioner communities.

In the UK and elsewhere, people with severe mental illness die prematurely, up to 20 years younger than the general population, a mortality often associated with modifiable medical risk factors. The substantial costs to the health system and the wider economy caused by smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol misuse and substance abuse are well established. For example, smoking rates among people with a mental illness are three times higher than among the general population. However, while smokers living with severe mental illnesses are just as likely to want to quit as the general population, they are generally more addicted, and face greater barriers to quitting. Similarly, weight gain and obesity are major problems for people with mental health problems, increasing the risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, all contributing to low quality of life and exacerbating psychiatric symptoms. Other interwoven and modifiable risk factors associated with the poor physical health of people with mental health problems include low self-esteem, unemployment, loneliness, the low expectations of others, and social exclusion. For a range of social and psychological reasons, including the damage done by stigma, people with mental health problems have relatively limited access to local cultural and natural resources which could improve their physical and mental health. In recent years, greater attention has been focussed on the physical health of people living with mental illnesses but services remain fragmented and uncoordinated. This disconnect may be particularly true in the relationship between statutory health and social care services, and the community and voluntary sector organisations. Moreover, many lifestyle interventions exist that are of potential benefit to people with SMI these are seldom implemented in community settings and there is a lack of evidence on the development of effective interventions to help people with SMI. The CHOICE project aims to build a community coalition of agencies and people across Northern Ireland to maximise the resources, skills and knowledge held collectively. We will use Community-Based Participatory Research (CPBR), a powerful 'bottom-up' approach which uses innovative and inclusive approaches to empower disadvantaged communities and populations in the co- design and implementation of solutions to address health disparities. CBPR helps bridge research and practice by engaging the community to tackle disparities in population health and has been used in diverse and disadvantaged settings as an efficient means of challenging power imbalances. Importantly, our coalition will assist in identifying and exploiting all the assets and resources that exist in our communities but remain generally underused. Working with the experts by experience, we will use arts-based approaches to highlight the experience of living with mental illness, and the relationship between exclusion and physical health. By the end of the project we will have developed a strong community coalition and an agreed strategic plan to improve the lives of people living with mental illness.