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With strategic funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Medical Research Council announced earlier this year, BioFAIR will establish a cohesive, UK-wide digital research infrastructure.
The coordinating hub will be based at the Earlham Institute in Norwich, where Tony Burdett will spearhead the initiative - shaping its staffing, structure, partnerships, and governance.
Tony is a renowned leader in bioinformatics and has made significant contributions to international scientific collaborations around the development of innovative data solutions.
He will lead stakeholder engagement with the life science research and research technical professionals communities across the UK, to assemble a community to deliver a cutting-edge digital research infrastructure that drives the adoption of FAIR principles and supports world-class research in the UK.
Neil Hall, Director of the Earlham Institute, said: “I’m delighted to have Tony leading this programme - one that will position the UK as a global leader in research data management, data standards, and data and method reuse.”
“His expertise, leadership, and trusted position within the community will all be invaluable as we work towards establishing a federated digital research infrastructure - one that drives the adoption of FAIR principles and supports world-class research across the UK.”
Dr Sarah Perkins, Executive Director for Strategic Planning, Evidence and Engagement at BBSRC and the UKRI Senior Responsible Officer for BioFAIR, said: “We are excited to welcome Tony as the new Director of BioFAIR. This project represents a major step forward in transforming the UK’s approach to life science research data management.
“Tony's extensive leadership and technical expertise will be pivotal in advancing our strategic vision, ensuring that the UK continues to lead in adopting and implementing FAIR principles. Under his leadership, the BioFAIR team will be instrumental in enhancing how we manage, share and reuse research data, ultimately positioning the UK as a hub of world-class scientific innovation and research collaboration.”
Tony has twenty years' experience in bioinformatics service delivery. In his current role as Technical Team Leader at EMBL-EBI, he leads a team that has played a crucial role in advancing the European Nucleotide Archive, ensuring seamless data sharing and accessibility for the global life sciences community.
As a lead of the ELIXIR Interoperability Platform, Tony Burdett has also been instrumental in developing sustainable, interoperable data infrastructures across ELIXIR member states.
