UKRI allocates funding for EMBL-EBI data resources
To support the increasing diversity of data deposited in EMBL-EBI data resources, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has allocated £80.7 million of its Infrastructure Fund to the institute, over six years.
This follows funding awarded in 2019, which has already supported new infrastructure in key areas such as genomics and bioimaging.
The additional funding will enable the development of new data platforms and portals to address global priorities, such as antimicrobial resistance, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity loss.
“Open data sit at the heart of discovery in the life sciences, with a vast range of applications from human health and disease, to food security and biodiversity conservation,” explained Ewan Birney, Director of EMBL-EBI and Deputy Director General of EMBL. “We’re seeing unprecedented volumes of data generated and submitted to us in recent years, so the UKRI funding will enable the essential transformation of our technical infrastructure to respond.”
“The EMBL-EBI websites get 107 million requests on an average day. In 2019, this figure was 38 million requests per day and the number is increasing year on year,” added Jo McEntyre, Associate Director of EMBL-EBI Services. “Receiving this support from the UKRI will help us make substantial updates to our services to benefit our users.”
“From drug discovery to advances in digital arts, advances in research and innovation depend on access to cutting edge equipment and facilities,” said Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive. “The UK is home to world-renowned facilities in a wide range of fields, which act as global hubs for research and innovation. We must ensure that we renew and upgrade that capability to keep pace with technological advances, empowering our researchers and innovators to go further faster.”
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