Area of investment and support

Future data services

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:

• gathering evidence for, exploring and assessing the future needs of its communities
• developing options while recognising that research is more interdisciplinary than ever before

• Duration: This programme of work will conclude in 2024 following evidence gathering, options appraisal and the development of recommendations.
• Partners involved: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The scope and what we're doing

Scope

The programme is examining the following five areas that underpin data service infrastructures:

• data discovery and curation
• data access and user support
• technology
• people, organisations and culture
• ethics, impact and public engagement

Second phase of the programme

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.

Why we're doing it

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:

• co-design: data services designed with researchers by default
• co-deliver: services that collaborate and ‘join the dots’
• invest in people: building expertise in data and research
• shift the culture: focus on delivering better research outcomes
• talk to the public: confidently explaining why data and data infrastructures matter

Data landscape

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:

• technology has evolved
• there is greater public awareness of how and why their data is used
• more trusted research environments for accessing sensitive data exist than ever before
• there is an increasing demand for openness in data and research publishing

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:

• Administrative Data Research UK
• Health Data Research UK
• Smart Data Research UK
• the re-launching of the Office for National Statistics’ Virtual Microdata Laboratory as the Secure Research Service
• Population Research UK, supported by CLOSER and UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration provide services to researchers who are specifically using longitudinal data for their work

Past projects, outcomes and impact

First phase of the programme

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.

Who to contact

Ask a question about this area of investment

Future Data Services team

Email: fds@esrc.ukri.org

Governance, management and panels

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: 22 December 2025