Our Strategy 2024-29
Our 5-year strategy for multidisciplinary data science and artificial intelligence at the University of Leeds.
Executive Summary
LIDA’s vision is to generate societal impact and improve global wellbeing and prosperity through internationally outstanding research, education and training, in interdisciplinary data science and artificial intelligence.
To achieve this LIDA’s overarching strategic challenge and opportunity, is to build upon existing strengths across the University so that:
- The Universities' Data Science and AI ecosystem is more than the sum of its parts.
- The University offers a coherent and distinct proposition in data science and AI to compete nationally and internationally.
- The University provides a home for capacity building and the development of future leaders in the field.
The strategy is broken down into four portfolios; Research and Innovation, Education and Training, Research Technology and Operational Enablement with the following strategic aims (underpinned by short term (1 year), medium (2-3 year) and long term ( 3-5 year) objectives);
Read our full LIDA 5-Year Strategy 2024-29Research and Innovation
To date in the current Research Excellence Framework (REF2029) period, LIDA’s grant portfolio comprises 155 projects, supported by £120 million of external awards, from 43 funders. LIDA’s research projects span more than 58 schools and institutes. Two thirds of those projects are interdisciplinary, bringing together the necessary expertise from a network of 400+ academics and researchers.
To deliver world class and impactful research and innovation we aim to:
- Produce world-class cross disciplinary research.
- Diversify & increase data science & AI research income.
- Deliver impactful research & innovation.
- Develop, support & retain an inclusive research community.
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Education and Training
Evidence suggests that availability of people with specialist data skills in the UK is insufficient to meet demand. A 2021 study found that in the UK, the supply of data scientists from universities was unlikely to exceed 10,000 per year, yet there were potentially at least 178,000 unfilled data specialist roles.
To help address this gap, we will increase the number of people with data skills, with these actions:
- Develop, support & retain a diverse and inclusive education and training community.
- Increase successful outcomes for data science and AI students, and early career data scientists and learners.
- Provide a healthy, safe & inclusive environment and enriching experience for staff and students.
- Diversify and increase data science and AI education and training income.
- Ensure a sustainable and balanced cohort mix in data science and AI education and training.
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Research Technology
Approximately half of LIDA’s research is dependent on our state-of-the-art and highly secure Trusted Research Environment (TRE), known as LASER. It is the University’s only ISO27001/NHS DSPT accredited computing platform and provides a cost-effective and reliable service across all faculties.
We aim to continue providing and improving our first-class technology together with our first-class in-house Data Analytics Team service to:
- Provide high end, secure and scalable research computing infrastructure.
- Develop processes and tools to improve costing and research recoveries.
- Encourage open research practice.
- Deliver impactful research and innovation.
- Be a trusted collaborator.
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Operational Enablement
By fostering a collaborative and digitally supported on-campus and hybrid environment, nurturing partnerships with academic, industry and government entities and streamlining administrative processes.
LIDA aims to create a supportive data science and AI environment that encourages innovation and knowledge exchange including:
- Developing, supporting & retaining a diverse and inclusive professional services staff community.
- LIDA’s facilities provide a best-in-class, collaborative work environment.
- LIDA is a trusted international collaborator.
- LIDA is adaptive, effective and financially and environmentally sustainable.
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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Research finds that certain groups (such as women, those from minority ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities) are underrepresented in the data workforce. A lack of workforce diversity has the potential to amplify existing inequalities and prejudices.
LIDA will contribute to UoL’s EDI Strategy to eliminate gaps between groups with protected characteristics and those without, by focussing on the following strategic aims:
Improve the development, progression, pay and retention rates of our staff and communities across protected characteristics (e.g. race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age).- Increase the engagement of LIDA managerial and academic research, education and training community staff with leadership development, to grow capability and help drive forward LIDA’s strategy.
- Improve the socio – economic diversity of our research, education and training communities.
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Environmental Sustainability
The University’s Climate Plan represents the single biggest investment the University has ever made: £174 million over the next decade, more than £150 million of which will be put towards achieving our goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
LIDA will contribute to the University’s Net Zero targets by 2030 by:
- Reducing the primary energy demand of our building and estate.
- Reducing emissions from business travel.
- Decarbonise energy usage related to LIDA’s use of gas and electricity in our building and use of compute infrastructures.
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Read our full LIDA 5-Year Strategy 2024-29