BU Research Blog

Jisc has introduced a new, secure method of data sharing using its JANET research and education network, to support leading universities undertaking three new initiatives.

“Rather than each of the research programmes and organisations developing one-off solutions to manage collaborative secure communication and user authentication between partners, Jisc is securing the networks across the organisations so that approved researchers working in one partner organisation can gain access to the data they need wherever it is stored.”

The initiatives are:
• Farr Institute of Informatics Research– a UK virtual organisation working with 10 funders on safe use of patient and research data for medical research

• Medical Bioinformatics, funded by the Medical Research Council, to research the safe use and analysis of biological and patient data for medical research across all diseases.

• The Administrative Data Research Network which aims to allow access to anonymised data collected by government and public sector institutions.

John Ainsworth, e-infrastructure lead for the Farr Institute, says: “The network is changing the way we do data analysis. It will provide a secure infrastructure for collaboration and the sharing of resources for data science. This will enable researchers to concentrate on what they do best – discovering new knowledge