Checking the paperwork: identifying trusted people for sensitive data access

Members of the ELIXIR-UK Human Data Community have highlighted the recent soft launch of the Safe People Registry, an open-source tool developed by HDR UK to support ‘safe people’ access validation for sensitive and secure data. The registry aligns with the Five Safes principles, enabling data services to provide safe research access to data.

The Safe People Registry provides a shared platform where individuals and their affiliated organisations can create profiles that bring together relevant information to support ‘safe people’ assessments.

It is designed to streamline processes used across Trusted Research Environments (TREs), Secure Data Environments (SDEs) and Safe Havens, reducing duplication and administrative burden for data custodians

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ELIXIR-UK’s involvement focuses on community engagement and knowledge exchange. Through the ELIXIR-UK Human Data Community, members have had a forum to discuss emerging approaches to accreditation, governance practices and tooling that support safe access to sensitive data.

ELIXIR-UK supports the open development approach taken by the Safe People Registry team and the sharing of design decisions, roadmaps and lessons learned with the wider community.

Development, operation and governance of the Safe People Registry sit entirely with the HDR UK team (members of ELIXIR-UK since 2023).

As part of their open development process, the Safe People Registry team has published a series of public software walkthroughs and a roadmap presentation outlining planned features and opportunities for feedback.

HDR UK is looking for trialling projects

The Safe People Registry is currently in a soft-launch phase and welcomes expressions of interest from UK-based TREs, SDEs, and Safe Havens to trial the system.

Enquiries and trial requests should be directed to the Safe People Registry team at enquiries@safepeopleregistry.org.