The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, has been awarded a major Medical Research Council (MRC) grant to advance the use of sensitive medical imaging data for research. The nearly £400,000 award will fund the FIREDANSE project—Federated Infrastructure for digital pathology Reporting and Expert Data Annotation in a Secure Environment—developed in collaboration with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation and Imperial College. FIREDANSE forms part of the newly announced DARE UK Phase 2 portfolio, funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and aims to enhance the next generation of Trusted Research Environments (TREs) in the UK.
This funding is part of a broader £2.7 million investment across eight pioneering projects, each running for 12 months to test early-stage ideas with the potential to shape the future of UK data research infrastructure. The programme is designed to push the boundaries of technology in TREs, which are highly secure digital platforms that allow approved researchers to safely and responsibly access sensitive data.
FIREDANSE, led by Professor Manuel Salto-Tellez and Dr Simon Doran at ICR, will demonstrate how biopsy images and associated clinical data can be securely linked across the TREs of The Royal Marsden and Imperial College. By connecting these datasets, the project aims to enable the development of more powerful AI models for cancer diagnosis and treatment, increasing algorithm accuracy and clinical usefulness while helping alleviate workforce pressures in pathology services.
A core focus of FIREDANSE is addressing patient and public concerns about the reliability of medical AI. The project will adapt a web-based platform developed at ICR, allowing consultants to securely review anonymised pathology images and clinical data and provide structured expert feedback. This multi-hospital validation will support both AI development and ongoing quality assurance, ensuring consistent and safe performance in clinical settings.
Public engagement and governance are central to the project. FIREDANSE will conduct activities to understand public priorities, explain AI concepts in healthcare, and facilitate dialogue among citizens, clinicians, and data scientists. Engagement materials will be reviewed by information governance professionals at partner organisations, ensuring the approach meets the needs of both experts and the wider public.
Funding for FIREDANSE reflects a broader strategy to explore innovative ideas in secure data research. Emily Jefferson, Interim Director of DARE UK, emphasized that these exploratory projects provide freedom to test bold concepts while building evidence for secure, flexible, and trustworthy research infrastructure. The findings will guide national and sector-wide strategies, helping the UK maintain leadership in the responsible use of sensitive health data.
Dr Simon Doran highlighted that FIREDANSE’s name, inspired by the Balinese fire dance, represents the careful coordination required to move sensitive data safely between secure environments. The project aims to demonstrate that advanced data infrastructure can support impactful research while safeguarding patient privacy and trust. Erik Mayer of Imperial College and Steven Francis of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust underscored the significance of developing interoperable secure data networks for collaborative research while ensuring responsible data use and public confidence.
