Wellcome has awarded over £1.9 million to fund a major five‑year initiative to revolutionise how researchers reuse existing data. Beginning in April 2026, the Harmony project will develop a cutting‑edge AI platform designed to help scientists harmonise and pool survey datasets more efficiently, transparently, and accurately than ever before.
By making it possible to combine data collected across different studies, countries, languages, and time periods, Harmony aims to accelerate new discoveries that benefit society, particularly in fields such as public health, psychology, and social science.
Unlocking New Discoveries from Underused Data
For decades, governments, funders and researchers have invested heavily in collecting large-scale survey datasets. While these data have driven major breakthroughs, much of their long-term value remains untapped. Once studies conclude, datasets are rarely revisited, despite the potential for combining and integrating them to unlock entirely new research questions.
The challenge here has always been inconsistent measurement: even when measuring similar constructs, different studies often make use of different survey instruments, making direct comparisons difficult. Historically, attempts to harmonise such data have relied on manual judgement, which can be slow, inconsistent, and difficult to reproduce.
Harmony aims to change that.
The project, led by Ulster University’s Dr Eoin McElroy and UCL’s Dr Bettina Moltrecht, will develop an open‑source, multi‑lingual software platform powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) that can:
- estimate the comparability of measurement tools across datasets,
- translate and harmonise variables across languages,
- provide transparent documentation of decisions,
- and help researchers reuse data at scale.
By dramatically reducing the time and expertise required to integrate datasets, Harmony will help transform existing information into new insights, ultimately accelerating scientific progress without new data-collection costs.
An early version of the tool is already available for public exploration.
The project brings together academic, industry, and international partners committed to widening access to research tools. The team includes colleagues from Ulster University, University College London (UCL), the African Population and Health Research Center, and industry partner Fast Data Science.
Building on Prize‑Winning Momentum
This major new investment follows the team’s success in securing £305,000 as winners of Wellcome’s first-ever Mental Health Data Prize in 2024, which supported the early development of Harmony.
As more researchers gain the ability to connect previously siloed information, the project could unlock a new generation of insights; turning decades of underused survey data into discoveries with the potential to improve societal wellbeing worldwide.
