Working in partnership with HDR UK, each Hub is the product of strong collaboration
between the NHS, academia, industry and the public and forms an integral part of the
vibrant UK research data ecosystem.

From 2019-2023, the Hubs were supported by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (through the Data to early diagnosis and precision medicine challenge) as part of HDR UK’s Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) Programme. Although this funding has now ended, the Hubs continue to move forward with their unique expertise and datasets to enable approved data users to make discoveries that improve people’s lives.

What is a hub?

The Health Data Research Hubs are collaborations of leading universities, NHS Foundation Trusts and other non-academic partners that use their tools knowledge and expertise to facilitate the use of health data for beneficial research purposes. Each Hub is a centre of excellence supporting researchers to maximise the insights and innovations developed using this data.

Why are there nine different Hubs?

Each Hub holds topic-specific knowledge, expertise and data in particular disease areas or types of health data. There are currently nine Hubs that provide coverage across multiple disease areas and data sources.

The purpose of the Hubs

The purpose of the Hubs is to support external users from across the NHS, academia, and industry to use data for research and innovation. Each Hub holds topic-specific knowledge, expertise and data in different domains or data types. There are currently nine Hubs that provide coverage across multiple disease areas and data sources. Collectively, the Hubs work as a network to adopt similar ways of working and tackle challenges in data science through being members of the wider UK Health Data Research Alliance.