Research Data Scotland

Research Data Scotland (RDS) is working to unlock the power of public sector data to make it quicker and simpler to do research and improve lives. Established in 2021 by the Scottish Government, RDS connects researchers to public sector data making it faster and simpler to generate evidence to help others improve society. Working in partnership, we provide system leadership to transform Scotland’s public sector data systems, aligning and simplifying policies and approaches. We do this by safely and securely widening the range of data available, creating new data assets and providing a single point of contact for effective access to public sector data. RDS is a not-for-profit charitable organisation, funded by Scottish Government, and a partnership between Scottish Government, leading universities and public bodies, such as Public Health Scotland (PHS) and National Records Scotland (NRS).