Overview

The Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) Research Driver Programmes are building and enhancing national scale research-ready data assets, to create the data foundations for discovery using data across the whole UK population.  

These data foundations bring together sources from electronic patient health records, biological assays, environmental monitoring, molecular technologies, and pathological specimens managed by partners across academia, NHS, government, industry and charities. 

An integral part of the HDR UK strategy, the Research Driver Programmes are testing and improving trustworthy health data infrastructure for the benefit of the whole UK research community. 

Each HDR UK Driver Programme focuses on an area where data science has great potential to improve public health, prevent people from becoming unwell, and enhance patient care. They are achieving this through secondary usage of datasets available across the UK that are relevant to human health, and collectively spanning discovery, prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. 

  • Unique linked datasets and infrastructure created to meet each Driver Programmes’ needs and supported by HDR UK activity.
  • Every Driver Programme committed to fostering public trust and transparency through dedicated Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement activity.
  • Partnership building and stakeholder engagement across public, private, and third sector to identify scientific needs and facilitate data access.
  • Funded PhDs and Fellowships to train and cultivate the next generation of UK health data scientists.
  • Commitment to open science principles, freely sharing results and research outputs with the global scientific community.
  • Cross Driver opportunities around data curation, mitigating inequalities, and strengthening Regional data research networks.
  • Building Driver Programme capacity through leveraged funding and HDR UK Driver Programme support