Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) has announced a £22 million investment in new data services enabling researchers to access new forms of smart data.
It said these will include the first national smart data donation service, a pioneering satellite imagery service and others that provide new insights into the economy, environment, health and wellbeing.
Smart data is data generated through everyday interactions with the digital world, including via mobile apps, navigation systems, social media and shopping. It can be used to understand society and improve lives.
SDR UK – which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and works within the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) data infrastructure programme – said it is aiming to provide a safe and efficient way to access and use smart data for public benefit.
It has provided details of four services, one being the Imagery Data Service (Imago), led by teams from the Universities of Liverpool and Newcastle. This will use satellite imagery, novel computing and AI to provide a richer understanding of challenges in areas such as environmental vulnerability, urban development and housing and inequalities.
Citizen control
The Smart Data Donation Service (SDDS), led by the University of York, will be aimed at empowering citizens to take control of their own data and share it safely with researchers. SDDS will recruit a cohort of data donors, initially focusing on 90,000 donations from video game users and expanding to wider online data including social media.
SDR UK said the service will meet an urgent need for evidence based policy around online safety and digital wellbeing, enabling research into mental health, digital literacy, online community, addiction, discriminatory behaviour and disinformation.
The Geographic Data Service (GeoDS), led by the University of Liverpool, will integrate a wide range of data sources to generate new insights into equitable and sustainable growth, bringing focus to geographic disparities, barriers to opportunity and the circumstances of vulnerable populations.
The GeoDS team will develop partnerships with data providers and coordinate a national master’s dissertation programme to engage a new generation of smart data researchers.
Health and sustainability
Finally, a team from the University of Leeds will lead the Healthy and Sustainable Places Data Service (HASP). This will build on the work of the Consumer Data Research Centre to address challenges that cut across health and sustainability, and to discover new ways to understand local economies, health, lifestyles and transportation patterns.
It will draw upon data that spans retail, business, transport and infrastructure sectors to provide integrated datasets for the research community.
The services will also be expected to work collaboratively to acquire, steward and enable safe access to a diverse range of smart data, and to provide training and tools to build capacity in the research community.
ESCR will also set up a strategic hub to provide leadership.
Stian Westlake, Executive Chair of ESRC, said: “This investment in a new network of smart data services helps put the UK at the forefront of data driven innovation.
“Data infrastructure is as critical to our shared prosperity as transport, water or power networks. When we invest in data infrastructure we are investing in economic growth, improved public services, and a more sustainable future.”
Joe Cuddeford, Director of SDR UK, said: “These new data services are a major step forward in our mission to unlock the power of smart data for society.
“By providing researchers with safe access to new data, methods and tools we are empowering them to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the UK today, from boosting productivity to improving health outcomes.”
