This week, the Scientific External Advisory (SEA) Board for SAIL Databank convened in Swansea.
The SEA Board plays a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of both SAIL and its Trusted Research Environment (TRE) provider, SeRP (Secure eResearch Platform). It provides critical advice on the quality, scope, relevance, and focus of their work, while also reviewing their collective achievements against their stated missions. The Board serves as an essential bridge between management, directors, and a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure alignment with emerging priorities and opportunities.
By engaging closely with the SAIL and SeRP Management Boards, the SEA Board provides expert input across several areas:
- The strategic aims and development vision, including monitoring progress towards this vision on an ongoing basis.
- Developments in information strategy for health and social care nationally and internationally, identifying challenges/ opportunities arising from these developments.
- Provide knowledge sharing/ opportunities for collaboration between SeRP, SAIL, and other national and international centres of excellence in health informatics and data science.
Highlights from the November 2024 Meeting
On Tuesday, 26th November, the SEA Board convened at the Data Science Building, Swansea University, to explore the evolution of SeRP, its current capabilities, and its future direction. Co-director Simon Thompson provided an insightful tour of the technical infrastructure, showcasing the technology that drives SeRP’s secure and flexible data-sharing platform. The day facilitated in-depth discussions on key topics, including advancements in data access infrastructure, addressing global challenges in the health data landscape, and strengthening international research collaborations.
On Wednesday, 27th November, the Board met at Norton House, Swansea, for the SAIL Databank SEA Board meeting. The day began with an update on SAIL’s progress in 2023-24, featuring presentations on financial arrangements, strategic collaborations, and SAIL’s forward-looking strategy, followed by constructive discussions with the Board. Further conversations explored SAIL’s evolving role in health data research, its future direction, and its relationship with SeRP.
These two days of meetings offered the Board an opportunity to review ongoing initiatives within both SeRP and SAIL, celebrating significant achievements while identifying opportunities for further growth. Discussions highlighted the need for continued innovation in data solutions to meet the dynamic needs of health and social care research, ensuring that both platforms remain at the forefront of global health informatics.
Building a Collaborative Future
Both SeRP and SAIL Databank underscore the importance of shared expertise and resources in achieving transformative outcomes.
The SEA Board continues to be a cornerstone of this collaboration, providing invaluable guidance that shapes the future direction of SeRP and SAIL. Both remain committed to maximising impact on research, public health, and society as a whole.
