About

With funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), HDR UK is collaborating with governance and technical experts across the UK Health Data Research Alliance (the Alliance) to create a more integrated and efficient process for assessing responsible researcher access to sensitive data.

The Safe Organisation and User Registry for Sensitive Data (SOURSD) is one of four pilot projects funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to aid better and safer use of data in research. SOURSD is new web platform that streamlines and standardises key processes for:

  • Data custodians managing Trusted Research Environments or Secure Data Environments
  • Researchers seeking access to TREs or SDEs
  • And the organisations they work (universities or research institutions, for example)
    • Develop a common model and standard, including a technical specification and guidance documentation, for researcher verification by working with legal, governance, and technical groups, including the Alliance, the NHS Research SDE Network, the UK TRE Community, and HDR UK’s Public Advisory Board to define key criteria for verifying researchers and the organisations they work for.
    • Develop a software solution to enable data custodians to more efficiently assess the safety of a presenting researcher, with functionality that streamlines and standardises decision making processes.
    • Work with TREs, the research community, and public contributors to understand the current researcher verification landscape and define minimum requirements for the technical solution.
    • Develop a roadmap in collaboration with the Alliance, key partners, and funders for long-term adoption.

    The overall goal of SOURSD is to create a common, consistent framework across organisations to simplify decision-making processes around responsible access to health and administrative data for research.

SOURSD aligns to the Five Safes Framework

SOURSD is a partnership initiative working towards an integrated system, aligned with the Safe People principle within the Five Safes Framework, that is recognised by all participating organisations. The Five Safes Framework is a set of principles which enable data services to provide safe research access to data – it’s become best practice in data protection while fulfilling the demands of open science and transparency.

The Five Safes are:

  • Safe Data: data is treated to protect any confidentiality concerns.
  • Safe Projects: research projects are approved by data owners for the public good.
  • Safe People: researchers are trained and authorised to use data safely.
  • Safe Settings: a secure environment prevents unauthorised use.
  • Safe Outputs: screened and approved outputs that are non-disclosive.

SOURSD is a software solution which standardises and simplifies researcher verification for secure data access – the Safe People principle.

  • Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank and the Secure eResearch Platform UK (SeRP) TRE are project partners, led by Professor Simon Thompson. The collaboration also includes the Data Research, Access and Governance Network (DRAGoN) based at the University of Western England, led by Professor Felix Ritchie.

    Representatives from the following groups are being consulted throughout the project:

    • Pan-UK Data Governance Steering Group: a working group of the Alliance representing data custodians and policymakers across the four nations.
    • NHS Research Secure Data Environment (SDE) Network: a network of 1 national SED and 11 regional SDEs that provides faster and more secure access to different types of NHS data for research.
    • UK TRE Community: a group of research software engineers (RSEs), researchers, TRE users, and developers sharing best practice and knowledge within the TRE space.
    • HDR UK’s Public Advisory Board: a group of public contributors that guides the work of HDR UK to ensure that it is always driven by benefits to patients and the public.

Programme leads

Rachel Tesfaye Senior Technical Programme Manager
Loki Sinclair Technical Programme Director
Emily Jefferson Chief Technology Officer, HDR UK and Interim Director, DARE UK and Chair of Health Data Science