SAIL Databank News. Published 11/11/2025
On the 21st October 2025, researchers, members of the public, policymakers, and data governance experts gathered at The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff for the SAFER project event: Exploring Federation and Innovation – a stakeholder engagement event led by the SAIL Databank in collaboration with DARE UK, SeRP, HDR UK, and ADR UK. The event brought together professionals from across the UK’s data research landscape to discuss one of data federation’s most pressing challenges: how to enable safe, legal, and efficient federated analysis within and between Trusted Research Environments (TREs) and Secure Data Environments (SDEs).
What is SAFER?
Trusted Research Environments (TREs) and Secure Data Environments (SDEs) play a vital role in ensuring that sensitive data can be accessed securely for research that benefits society. However, existing appropriate but differing legal, ethical, and technical frameworks across the UK make it challenging to conduct large-scale, federated analysis that brings together data from multiple regions or institutions. Funded by DARE UK, the SAFER project (SAFER: SAIL Advancing Federated Exploration and Readiness) aims to address these challenges by reviewing SAIL Databank’s existing policies, processes and documentation, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and understanding the challenges and opportunities to develop additions and improvement to existing adopted standards and approaches, including new governance models to support safe, secure and appropriate federation.
As one of the world’s longest-running TREs, SAIL Databank has extensive experience enabling secure, anonymised data linkage for research that delivers public benefit. Through SAFER, the team is examining how federated models can expand this work by connecting TREs under a unified governance framework while maintaining the highest standards of privacy, transparency, and security.
The SAFER Event
The one-day event opened with a welcome and project overview from SAFER’s project lead, Professor Ashley Akbari, who set the tone for a collaborative and forward-looking event. The morning’s session was introduced by SeRP and SAIL Co-director, Professor Simon Thompson, and SeRP and SAIL Head of Business Development, Chris Orton. SAIL and SeRP’s senior leaders outlined the concurrent DARE UK-funded ‘TREvolution’ initiative, which explores the technical models that enable federation, highlighting how SAIL’s high standards would be maintained or enhanced under future federated data arrangements.
The afternoon session commenced with presentations from SAIL Databank’s Head of Data Governance and Legislation, Sharon Heys, and Audit and Compliance Manager, Rob Garlick. The legal team discussed information governance and security considerations related to federation and federated analytics, based on the TREvolution models shared during the morning session.
Both the morning and afternoon sessions included an engaging series of workshops designed to capture insights from attendees on aspects of governance, communication, technology and practical considerations of federation.
Workshop Sessions
The morning workshop sessions explored the fundamental concepts and dimensions of data federation, as well as why federation matters for improving data research to benefit society.
- Workshop 1, ‘Which Type of Federated Analysis Suits Me?’, focused on identifying the most appropriate federated models for different research contexts. Participants discussed the balance between innovation and safety, decision-making structures, and the importance of trust and transparency. Key takeaways included the need for a common governance framework, clear decision-making roles, and the use of FAIR data principles to ensure discoverability and interoperability.
- Workshop 2, ‘Defining Federation’, examined how the concept of federation can be communicated clearly to diverse audiences. The group emphasised that federation should be seen as an enabler of collaboration rather than a replacement for existing systems. The discussion highlighted the importance of public engagement, transparency, and accessible communication to build understanding and trust.
- Workshop 3 explored ‘Why Federation is Important’. Attendees discussed the strategic and societal benefits of federation, including improving data quality, consistency, and accessibility across the UK. Federation was seen as a key mechanism for enabling global collaboration, improving efficiency for researchers, and strengthening the public’s confidence in the use of health and social data.
The afternoon workshop sessions delved into the legal, security, and procedural aspects of federated research, examining specific operational and legal considerations.
- Workshop 4, on ‘Legal Agreements and Documents’, focused on simplifying and standardising the complex legal landscape that governs data sharing. Participants identified the need for common templates, streamlined processes, and clear definitions of roles and responsibilities. Discussions also covered risk, liability, and the importance of creating practical guidance such as FAQs and checklists to support implementation.
- Workshop 5 addressed ‘Security and Compliance’, highlighting trust, data ownership, and anonymisation as central themes. Attendees emphasised the importance of transparent governance and clear communication with the public, particularly for communities with a history of mistrust in data use. The session also underscored that robust assurance, continuous audits, and proportionate controls are essential to maintaining confidence in federated systems.
- Workshop 6, ‘Application, Access and Processes’, explored how federated models could streamline application procedures while maintaining accountability. Key discussion points included simplifying forms, aligning governance models, providing training and support, and ensuring strong operational processes. Participants highlighted the importance of sustainability, continuous feedback, and avoiding duplication as federation evolves.
Professor Ashley Akbari, Professor of Population Data Science Research at Swansea University, Head of SAIL User and Data Support Services (UDSS) & Research Innovation – SAIL Databank, and Lead for the SAFER project said: “It was fantastic to meet with such a wide range of stakeholders from across the range of organisations and backgrounds, who were willing to share their time, knowledge and varied experiences of the research landscape. The team received a wealth of input from the stakeholders as part of the workshop sessions, which will inform SAFER and SAIL’s further plans of engagement and planning towards what a federated project involving SAIL would involve in the future.”
“It was great to hear from one public member who attended the event at the end of the event saying how they started the day not thinking they knew a lot about federation in general, but as the day went on, they learned a lot of new things, felt that they were much more informed, and had a chance to contribute their experiences and knowledge to the discussions in understanding opportunities and challenges. This was great to hear, and continues to enable and inform both the SAFER and SAIL further project and activities, and wider DARE UK engagement and delivery.
SAFER Event Reflections
The SAFER event showcased the collective commitment of researchers, members of the public, data custodians, and policymakers to advancing safe and effective federated analysis. By combining technical innovation with ethical and legal rigour, federation offers a pathway toward a more connected, efficient, and equitable data research infrastructure. The discussions reinforced that success depends on trust, transparency, and collaboration – values at the heart of SAIL Databank’s mission.
As the SAFER project moves forward, the insights from this event will inform the development of governance models, guidance materials, and public communications that help operationalise federation across the UK. By aligning technical capability with ethical responsibility, SAFER aims to set a benchmark for secure, scalable, and inclusive data research as part of the further SeRP technical developments being led by DARE UK’s TREvolution team.