Research project

DAFNI Champion – developing user cases for DAFNI with the broader UK transport research community

Project overview

DAFNI (Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure https://www.dafni.ac.uk/) represents an £8 million investment from the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) to provide infrastructure systems research capabilities and enhance the quality of modelling and other research outputs. DAFNI aims to improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of infrastructure through better sharing and use of data, exploitation of simulation and optimization techniques, and engagement with stakeholders through visualisation.

There were five main projects (across seven universities) associated with the DAFNI Champion programme. The responsibilities of DAFNI Champion for the University of Southampton and TRG were threefold: identifying potential future users of DAFNI, through discussions and presentations with particular groups and individuals to promote the facility; advocacy for the facility within the wider transport research community across the UK via the Universities’ Transport Study Group (UTSG – www.utsg.net), to try to determine the key requirements from a facility such as DAFNI, and how might it be appropriate for transport research generally; and providing feedback on the ITRC NISMODv2 modelling suite, which was incorporated into DAFNI’s capabilities by colleagues at the University of Oxford.

Staff

Lead researchers

Mr Adrian Hickford

Senior Research Assistant

Research interests

  • Methods to assess future changes to national and regional infrastructure systems
  • Promoting use of active travel and sustainable transport and improvements to road safety
  • Sustainable distribution and freight
Connect with Adrian

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs