GW4 Researchers selected for inaugural BioFAIR Fellowship to advance FAIR data practices

Two leading researchers from the GW4 Alliance have been selected to join the inaugural BioFAIR Fellowship, a prestigious UK-wide initiative aimed at transforming life sciences through better data practices.  

Dr Robert Andrews of Cardiff University and Dr Craig Willis of the University of Exeter will join a diverse cohort of fellows working to embed FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles across the life sciences. Their involvement marks a significant step forward in promoting open science and sustainable data stewardship across the GW4 institutions and beyond. 

The BioFAIR Fellowship is the flagship initiative of the UKRI-funded BioFAIR programme, which supports the UK life sciences community in transforming how data is shared, stewarded and reused. The programme will enable more efficient and transparent research practices that accelerate discoveries and improve health outcomes. 

The Fellowship brings together a dynamic network of researchers from across academia and the wider UK life sciences ecosystem, equipping them with the training, networks, and resources to drive sustainable cultural change around data. 

Fellows will act as grassroots champions within their institutions and communities, encouraging the use of FAIR data practices and helping to create lasting improvements in how research is shared and reused. 

Dr Andrews, co-Director of Cardiff University’s Systems Immunity Research Institute, Senior Lecturer and member of the management board of the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute, said: “With an emphasis on re-use, BioFAIR is exactly the kind of project that I enjoy. Over the next 12-months, I’ll be focusing on supporting people to reuse public data, workflows, and training materials through the new GW4 Isambard 3 supercomputer – putting the FAIR principles into practice.” 

Dr Willis, Senior Data Research Scientist for the University of Exeter’s Research Data Science Group, Fellow for the Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence theme of the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Sustainable Innovation, and Senior Data Lead for the UK Functional Genomics Initiative, said: "The BioFAIR Fellowship programme will enable me to deliver people-focused activities on FAIR-aligned practices across the UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative - a national network of over 1,000 academics, clinicians and industry partners that is coordinated from the University of Exeter. I’m looking forward to working together with the other Fellows to share knowledge and ideas to help maximise the success of these community-driven activities.” 

Dr Claire Spreadbury, GW4 Health and Wellbeing Manager, said: "We are delighted that Dr Andrews and Dr Willis have joined the inaugural BioFAIR Fellowship cohort. Linking into the UK-wide Fellowship, BioFAIR will support our efforts to share and reuse data and workflow across our established GW4 life science communities and research networks into the national network." 

BioFAIR was launched in 2024 with an investment of £34m from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI through the Biological and Biotechnology Research Council (BBSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).