SDR UK DATA CATALOGUE (OPEN)

Descriptions

The Smart Data Research UK programme (SDR UK) is a UKRI initiative delivered by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) designed to harness the potential of new forms of data for research and innovation and addressing social and economic challenges. www.sdruk.ukri.org

Smart data includes data from mobile apps, navigation systems, social media, sensors in consumer devices, and digital transactions, encompassing information about individuals, organisations, systems, or the physical environment. This type of data can allow researchers to identify and understand patterns in human behaviour, such as spending habits, mobility, social interactions and health practices. This can be used to address social and economic challenges by informing new policies or practices and contributing to new innovations which deliver social and economic benefits. 

The SDR UK programme is being delivered through a centrally coordinated, federated infrastructure comprising:  

•A Strategic Hub team, embedded in ESRC, providing leadership, coordination and oversight, a programme of citizen-centred involvement and engagement and an ethics and legal resource to provide support and assurance to the public, researchers and partners on responsible research.

•Federated data services cultivating long-term partnerships with data owners, providing curated access to data for priority areas of research interest. The ESRC will work iteratively to develop integration across the data infrastructures, working towards a federated model. 

Six data services have been appointed, each with a specific thematic focus, which will acquire, steward and enable safe access to smart data over the period 2024 - 2029.