BioFAIR is ready to transform data management in life sciences research

Academics from Systems Immunity Research Institute and the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute are supporting a new project that seeks to democratise access to life sciences data, workflow and communities.

BioFAIR will create an infrastructure to share data and software between projects and institutions, creating more opportunities for reuse and collaboration. Through promotion of the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable), the life sciences research community will be enabled to accelerate important knowledge creation. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced investment of £34million over five years.

The project will also provide training and development to support researchers and practitioners at all levels to embed data skills and build capacity in the UK.

The concept of BioFAIR was originated by ELIXIR-UK with researchers and practitioners from across the United Kingdom: Nine roadshows were held, including in Cardiff where academics were hosted by the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute and Systems Immunity Research Institute.

BioFAIR will be a catalyst for innovation and discovery and over its five-year life span will:

• accelerate the adoption of findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) data principles across the UK life sciences, making it more useful and valuable to researchers than ever before
• unify the UK’s currently fragmented digital research landscape, fostering unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and coordination among the national life sciences community
• break down barriers to democratise data accessibility, giving UK researchers the resources and autonomy needed for innovation and discovery to flourish
• coordinate and deliver extensive training and support for practitioners at all levels, building critical workforce capacity and securing the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences