Our history

EDINA was designated by JISC in 1995/96 as a national academic data centre, whose purpose is to support the activities of universities, colleges and research institutes across the UK. It is based in Information Services in the University of Edinburgh and grew from the Edinburgh University Data Library, which itself was established in 1983.

What EDINA does

EDINA develops and delivers shared services and infrastructure based upon knowledge and expertise gained through research and development. EDINA enables JISC to address sector priorities and support national strategies, including the provision of components in the developing national e-journal archiving and repository infrastructure, self-deposit and open access infrastructure in various areas. It is at the forefront of creating the academic geospatial data infrastructure and the development/maintenance of the access management infrastructure in the UK. It offers a wealth of multimedia materials accessible from a single interface and a variety of other data services and tools.

Funding and expertise

Mainly, but not entirely, funded by JISC, EDINA’s international reputation is also attracting increasing levels of funding from the European Union. With a proven track record in ‘leading/bleeding edge’ technological investigation and delivery, EDINA’s capabilities lie in economy of scale and a critical mass of skill and talent which use the University’s infrastructure and broader support network to yield a cost effective and highly competitive product at marginal cost.

2011-2012

The past academic year has again been productive and memorable. This Annual Review outlines some key success stories, which detail our contribution to the developing infrastructure now supporting scholarly and skills-based endeavour and practice in the UK. For a full view of our work, I would ask you to turn to our twice-yearly Community Report, which you can find along with our current and past planning and reporting documents.

What we can do for you

With the decrease in direct funding going to institutions, we are focused on providing you with cost-effective shared services and infrastructure for research and education that leverage the acknowledged expertise of our staff and the world-class technical facilities available at the University of Edinburgh. EDINA is part of the communities that we serve. We operate under service level agreements to provide you with trustworthy and quality assured services. Please contact us at edina@ed.ac.uk to find out how we can help you.