The SAFER project is working to enable large-scale, interdisciplinary research across Trusted Research Environments (TREs).
TREs, also known as Secure Data Environments (SDEs), provide safe access to sensitive data for research in the public interest. However, because each TRE operates under different legal, ethical, and governance frameworks, it can be challenging to combine and analyse data across regions or organisations. This limits the potential for large-scale research that could provide insights into national challenges.
SAFER (SAIL Advancing Federated Exploration and Readiness) is one of the DARE UK Early Adopter projects launched in March 2025, tackling this issue within the SAIL Databank, one of the world’s longest-operating TREs based at Swansea University, Wales. Led by Swansea University, the SAFER project is reviewing existing policies and consulting with experts and the public to develop new models to support safe and legal federated research.
Federation allows researchers to analyse data across multiple TREs without moving the data, reducing risks while enabling richer, more powerful research. Federation is one of the core innovations being explored by TREvolution, a DARE UK programme of work enhancing UK TRE capabilities and operations. By developing governance models that can be adopted across the UK, SAFER is helping to make this vision a reality.
What SAFER aims to deliver
By the end of the project, the SAFER team aims to evaluate how federated research could be done safely, legally, and consistently across TREs. Their goals include:
- Appropriate federated governance models – making it clear how federated research can operate safely and within the law.
- Providing practical guidance for TREs, researchers, and stakeholders – explaining what federation means in day-to-day research.
- Opening up the conversation with the public – creating clear, accessible resources, including written and video content, to explain federation and its impact.
- Paving the way for wider adoption – producing a final report with recommendations, key challenges, and opportunities to help TREs put federated research into practice.
Progress so far
In its first few months, the SAFER team has:
- Completed a first review of the SAIL Databank’s existing governance and associated policies and processes, along with a detailed review of existing federated models from TREvolution, and the potential impacts these would have for enabling federation.
- Begun legal, compliance and security reviews associated with federation.
- Engaged widely across the sector, including SAIL’s Information Governance Review Panel, Consumer Panel, and key data partners, ensuring early public and stakeholder input.
How SAFER supports TREvolution
SAFER builds directly on previous DARE UK Driver Projects, TRE-FX and TELEPORT, which tested the technical aspects of federation and are now being developed further as part of TREvolution. By focusing on appropriate governance, practical guidance, and engagement with stakeholders, SAFER complements these efforts and addresses one of the biggest barriers to federated analysis: ensuring it is legal, ethical, and trusted for research in the public interest.
With its expertise and long track record, SAIL Databank is uniquely placed to serve as a testbed for TREvolution’s federation tools and standards. SAFER’s findings will not only shape how federation works within SAIL but also inform how other TREs across the UK can collaborate securely and effectively.
About the DARE UK Early Adopters
The DARE UK Early Adopters are pioneering projects helping to put the standards and innovations assembled through TREvolution into practice. Working across more than 10 TREs, including five sub-national NHS SDEs in England, these projects bring together researchers, TRE operators and members of the public. Their role is to test new approaches in real-world settings, ensuring they are practical, effective, and safe before being more widely adopted for research in the public interest.
