The aim of the Future Data Services (FDS) programme is to establish what is needed for the next generation of data services beyond 2024.
To achieve this, ESRC is:
The programme is examining the following five areas that underpin data service infrastructures:
We are on the second phase of the Future Data Services programme.
ESRC will support data infrastructure investments to achieve a federated, ‘whole system’ outlook, with improvements underpinned by investment in technological change and an upskilled workforce to deliver it.
The FDS review outlined a number of recommendations, some requiring additional financial support. ESRC have prioritised these recommendations and in turn developed an approach for delivering funding.
Commissioning will occur in two waves, with a total of two opportunities. The first wave is made up of the Future Data Services Sandpit: Transforming Discovery and Access, the second wave is planned for late 2026 to early 2027 and will focus on joining up the data service workforce.
ESRC are also delivering a package of work surrounding the recommendations identified as not requiring additional financial support and can be implemented in our existing infrastructures and wider work.
The overall aim of the programme is to improve the way that researchers discover, access and use data to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth. The recommendations from the ‘Fixing the Data Pipeline’ report will help ESRC and other organisations decide how best to invest in the next generation of data services beyond 2026.
The ‘Fixing the Data Pipeline’ report identified five guiding principles that will transform how our data services operate:
The programme continues in the context of an ever-evolving data services landscape.
For example, since ESRC began funding the UK Data Service in 2012:
While the data landscape has expanded, with more types and sources of data available for researchers to use, service provision has also greatly increased. A number of new services have been established since UK Data Service was launched in 2012. These include:
The first phase of the Future Data Services programme reviewed ESRC’s data service infrastructure investments to ensure they meet the challenges of the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Following extensive consultation with researchers, data professionals, data custodians and technologists, the report sets out a series of actionable recommendations that will deliver a vision for a seamless, connected, research-centred data service landscape that harnessed new technologies to maximise data usage for public good.
The report sets out the actions needed to deliver improved data services for the research community, while enabling the most cutting-edge social science and economic research to thrive.
Read ESRC’s ‘Fixing the Data Pipeline’ report.
ESRC was supported by Professor Felix Ritchie and Dr Elizabeth Green from University of West of England. See ESRC Future Data Services technical papers.
ESRC invested £3 million (2024-2025 and 2025-2026) to fund 9 exciting pilot projects for 12 months to support ESRC’s Future Data Services strategic review of data services infrastructure.
These pilots were tasked to develop and trial new infrastructures to help ESRC deliver:
The projects also received funding through the UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure programme, to demonstrate the potential to substantially enhance and transform the data service landscape.
The funded projects were:
Connect 4: The project looked to align policies across the UK’s Trusted Research Environments to streamline projects that require data from different jurisdictions.
See the Connect 4 project website
CORDIAL-AI: The project focussed on developing a natural language model to improve the discovery of census data.
Data Discovery Made Easy: The project applied machine learning to help researchers retrieve statistics, by allowing them to ask in plain English.
Find further details on the funded project here
EDASIDA: The project delivered bespoke synthetic datasets to support teaching and enhance the discoverability of datasets.
Enhancing Data Services: The project developed a Comprehensive Training Program for Trusted Research Environment Staff in Social Science Data.
Find further details on the funded project here
Harmony: The project used AI to provide faster and easier ways for researchers to discover and use existing data.
Metacurate-ML: The project fine‑tuned pre‑trained language models to automate the extraction, comparison, and classification of survey metadata, reducing reliance on unsustainable manual processes.
ODYSSEY: The project developed a data services curriculum to help optimise Data Professional Success by addressing recruitment and skills.
Talk data to me!: The project developed ‘chat box’ search to help researchers find the data they need.
The review is conducted by the ESRC head office, working with a senior strategic fellow and a strategic fellow with input from data users, owners and managers in the ESRC community.
Oversight of the Future Data Services (FDS) programme of work is provided by a UKRI steering group, an external Programme Board with additional input from five thematic task and finish groups and a user panel.
Last updated: 9 June 2026
