Research working parties

Member-led research working parties are volunteer-led working groups that conduct research on timely topics of wide interest to the practice area and the profession.

The Health and Care Research Sub-committee has oversight of all the working parties listed below and encourages them to undertake research that can be shared with Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) members via sessional papers, articles in The Actuary or the British Actuarial Journal (BAJ), and presentations at conferences or workshops.

There are currently seven active Health and Care research working parties:

• Antibiotic Resistance - examines the rise of Antibiotic resistance (‘ABR’) and how it has become an increasing concern to the medical professions, health services and governments of the world’s major economies
• Diabetes - This working party will research the risk factors, incidence and mortality of diabetes along with future plausible trend scenarios which are of relevance to working actuaries.  Given the high prevalence of this disease and implication on NHS budgets and mortality/morbidity implications we view this is a key public interest issue which will also have consequences for the insurance industry. 
• Genetics - to accumulate a body of evidence regarding the potential risks of anti-selection from genetic testing to allow the profession to make informed contributions to this topic
• Impact of E-Cigarettes – to examine the emergence of e-cigarettes and their impact on insured lives
• Population Health Management - to promote the development of population health management within the actuarial profession and the health sector
• Product Research Group - to explore the role of pensions and other products which could provide a framework for saving to meet potential long term care needs.
• Social Care Green Paper - a group formed to review and repond to the Green Paper on Social Care from the UK Government

If you have your own ideas for member-led research you would like to pursue, please refer to our Guidance for Research Working Parties or contact Mairi Russell.

All members are encouraged to volunteer for a research working party

Members interested in volunteering for a research working party should check Volunteer vacancies for current and new working parties.

The IFoA is also actively involved in commissioning strategic and external research relating to Health and Care

Information on research undertaken by universities and other external agencies which receive funding and/or support from the IFoA, as well as the IFoA’s strategy for involvement, the process for calls for research, current research initiatives and funding, can be found in Research and Knowledge.