The outputs from five DARE UK Driver Projects lay some of the foundations for a pioneering UK-wide network of TREs that will shape the future of sensitive data research in the UK. The detailed project reports are now available on our website, and a blog series will follow in the coming days, providing further insights into the outputs from each of the Driver Projects.

DARE UK is pleased to unveil the outputs from five Driver Projects funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation. The Driver Projects were awarded more than £2.5 million over nine months (February to October 2023) to explore some of the essential components and requirements for a UK-wide network of Trusted Research Environments (TREs).

The five Driver Projects, led by researchers from higher institutions in the UK, delved into diverse aspects of enhancing sensitive data research capabilities in the UK:

SATRE: Standardised Architecture for Trusted Research Environments

  • Led by researchers at the University of Dundee, SATRE focused on establishing a standard specification, or definition, for TREs as one of the foundations for a cohesive and interoperable network of TREs.

TRE-FX: Delivering a Federated Network of Trusted Research Environments

  • Researchers at the University of Manchester led TRE-FX, aiming to develop an approach to federated analysis across a network of TREs to facilitate secure data analytics, ensuring data privacy and integrity.

TELEPORT: Connecting Researchers to Big Data at Light Speed

  • Led by researchers at the University of Swansea, TELEPORT explored innovative solutions to connect researchers with vast datasets swiftly, enabling parallel access to data housed in multiple physically separated environments.

SARA: Semi-Automated Risk Assessment of Data Provenance and Clinical Free-text

  • Researchers at the University of Edinburgh led SARA, focusing on semi-automated risk assessment of data provenance and clinical free-text within trusted research environments, improving data reliability and accessibility.

SACRO: Semi-Automated Checking of Research Outputs

  • Led by researchers at the University of the West of England, SACRO aimed to implement semi-automated checks on research outputs, ensuring research outcomes protect individual privacy while easing the manual burden on TRE staff.

By addressing some of the core components and requirements to build a UK-wide network of TREs, the Driver Projects have delivered innovative solutions that could shape national policy, foster collaboration, and elevate the overall quality of UK-wide data research in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The detailed project reports are now available on our website. Click on each project title above and scroll to the bottom of the page to access the reports.

DARE UK Driver Projects Showcase Day

On 16 October 2023, DARE UK held an in-person showcase event in Edinburgh, welcoming the five DARE UK Driver Projects teams, programme partners and members of the public.

At the all-day event, the project teams made insightful presentations on the outputs of their work, followed by a Q&A session. UKRI representatives and members of the DARE UK programme team were also present to discuss the integration of the Driver Projects’ outputs and their implications for future phases of the DARE UK programme.

Watch the video below to see highlights from the day.

What next?

The five Driver Projects have served to shape and inform the DARE UK programme’s technical direction over the last year of the programme. Their work, alongside the earlier Sprint Exemplar Projects and DARE UK Community Groups, will provide a sound basis for the next phase of the DARE UK programme towards realising a coordinated and trustworthy national data research infrastructure to support cross-domain research for public good.

In the coming days, we will publish a blog series diving into the final outputs of each Driver Project, as well as the public involvement and engagement efforts the project teams carried out.

We have also organised a public webinar to showcase the final outputs of the Driver Projects and discuss the future implications for the DARE UK programme, the broader UK data research community, and the public. There will be quick, public-friendly presentations on each Driver Project followed by Q&A to shed more light on their work.

  • Date: 17 January 2024
  • Time: 12:00 – 13:30
  • Venue: Online (Zoom)

Click here to register 

DARE UK remains at the forefront of advancing data research capabilities, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the responsible and ethical use of sensitive data for public benefit.

For more information,  join our mailing list, follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), or send an email to enquiries@dareuk.org.uk.

Learn more about the DARE UK Driver Projects