SDR UK backs community-led projects 

Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) has teamed up with Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) and others to support creative community-led projects across the UK. 

HDR UK’s Take the Lead small grants programme supports underserved communities to deliver their own health data engagement activities and to explore how data can support health and wellbeing in ways that matter to them. Projects will use a range of data, including smart data, to engage their members and communities with health and wellbeing topics including mental health, dementia, physical fitness, and alcohol consumption. 

Smart data – generated through everyday interactions with digital devices including mobile apps, wearables and satnavs – can help address real-world challenges around health and wellbeing, digital society, sustainability and economic issues. 

For SDR UK, building public trust through meaningful engagement is central to unlocking smart data’s potential. Our recent public dialogue showed people’s enthusiasm for smart data research grew significantly as they learned more about its potential to drive positive change and participate in shaping how it’s used. 

“The response to Take the Lead has been overwhelming and humbling. Nearly 500 applications showed us that communities across the UK are ready and eager to lead conversations about health data in ways that resonate with their own experiences. We only wish we could fund them all, which is why we’re seeking partners to help us expand Take the Lead into future rounds and reach even more communities.” 

Cassie Smith, Director of Legal, Trust and Ethics at HDR UK

Take the Lead project showcase 

Find out about the first cohort of Take the Lead community projects, which will be delivered between January and April 2026.