Partnership • Interoperability • Trust
About ACCoRD
ACCoRD addresses the contracting challenges that currently hinder data from being accessed, moved and processed efficiently for ground-breaking research.
A research data contract stipulates the terms under which data is shared for research purposes. It forms the foundation for the storage, management, transfer and use of data. However, the data contracting process is fraught with challenges, inefficiencies and uncertainty, which significantly delay or block innovative research.
ACCoRD brings together experts in community engagement and data governance to deliver:
- the evidence, components and roadmap for a governance framework for data contracts in research, and
- a community to take that evidence forward
Through stakeholder engagement and community development, we will understand the challenges and opportunities for data contracting, identify best practice models and produce solutions to unblock data for the UK’s Digital Research Infrastructure.
What we do
- Engage: surveys, workshops, and interviews across stakeholders
- Synthesise: turn insights into practical components for a framework
- Sustain: hand over a living community and roadmap to long-term hosts
Our team
Researchers, stewards, and partners building fair, fast data contracts together.
Dr Michelle Harricharan
Project Lead
UCL ARC
Dr Claire Ellul
Project Co‑Lead
UCL ARC
Dr James Wilson
Project Co‑Lead
UCL ARC
Katie Buntic
Research & Innovation Associate
UCL ARC
Dr Shipra Suman
Research & Innovation Associate
UCL ARC
Funding & national impact
ACCoRD is funded through the National Federated Compute Services (NFCS) NetworkPlus . What we develop will directly inform and contribute to the NFCS, ensuring that our work is not created in a vacuum but instead delivers lasting value at a national scale. Our community’s insights and solutions will shape how data contracts support research across the UK.