About SPRITE+
SPRITE+ brings together people involved in research, practice, and policy with a focus on digital contexts. We are a 'one stop shop' for engagement between academic and non-academic communities - a way for these communities to connect and a platform for building collaborations across the spectrum of issues relating to security, privacy, identity and trust.
We are funded until 31 August 2027 under the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) Digital Security and Resilience Theme (grant reference EP/W020408/1).
SPRITE+ is led by a consortium of five universities: University of Manchester (lead institution), Imperial College London, Lancaster University, Queen’s University Belfast, and University of Southampton. Our Management Team is supported by a multi-disciplinary group of more than 250 Expert Fellows and 24 Project Partners from different sectors, including industry, government, law enforcement, and civil society.
SPRITE+ is:
A 'one stop shop' for engagement between academic and non-academic communities.
A 'network of networks', making connections with and between other interest groups.
Gathering stakeholder requirements and exploring existing research to identify gaps and propose new research directions.
Supporting innovative small projects that could be the game-changers of tomorrow.
Supporting the development of the next generation of researchers.
Mission and objectives
"To deliver a step change in engagement between people involved in research, practice, and policy relevant to trust, identity, privacy, security and safety, with a focus on digital contexts."
Since launching in 2019, we have established ourselves as the go-to point of contact to engage with the broadest UK network of interdisciplinary, cross-sector digital Trust, Identity, Privacy, Security and Safety (TIPSS) experts.
In our second phase (2023-2027) we will continue to build our membership, while expanding the breadth and depth of our innovation, and deepen our impact through proactive engagement.
The main objectives of SPRITE+ are to:
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Expand our TIPSS network, harnessing the expertise and collaborative potential of the national and international communities.
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Identify and prioritise future TIPSS research challenges.
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Explore and develop the priority research areas to enhance our collective understanding of future global TIPS challenges.
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Stimulate innovative research through sandpits, industry led calls, and horizon scanning.
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Deepen engagement with TIPSS research end users across sectors to accelerate knowledge exchange.
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Understand, inform and influence policy making and practice at regional, national and international level.
A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is woven through all our activities, enriching the work of our community and its outcomes – for further information please see the SPRITE+ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpage.
Partner organisations
Partner | Programme/Event |
|---|---|
Alan Turing Institute (ATI) | Trustworthy Digital Identity Deep Dive (co‑funding collaborator) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) | TIPSS in Digital Cities and Connected Places Deep Dive |
Digital Law | Internal Advisory Board (IAB) member |
CRANE | 2026 AI and TIPSS Sandpit |
SALIENT | 2025 Resilience and TIPSS Sandpit; UKRI safer streets joint bid; Early Careers Researcher Event 2026 |
Network for Security Excellence & Collaboration (NSEC) | Early Careers Researcher Event 2026; UKRI safer streets joint bid |
Digitial Twins Network Plus (DTNet+) | Digital Twins Innovation Forum 2026 |
Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities Network Plus (RBOC Network+) | Future Leaders Workshop (co‑host) |
Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS) | Summer Camp (co‑organiser); Provider of ECR fellowships |
UNSW Institute for Cyber Security (IFCyber) | Bilateral visitors scheme; international seed funding programme |
Ofcom | IAB member; AIM Day secondment host |
BT Group | IAB Member; Aim Day secondment host |
N8 Policing Research Partnership (N8PRP) | Innovation Fora: AI for Preventative Policing |
Université de Montréal | HC2P Summer School host (2024 & 2025); IAB member |
University of Ottawa | HC2P Summer School host (2024 & 2025) |
University of Strathclyde | International Perspectives on Cybercrime Summer School (host 2025, 2026) |
Chatham House | Digital Identity Policy Hackathon (co‑host) |
Templar International Group | AIM Secondment Host |
TrustedTech Africa | Project Partner Challenge Grant; Member Event |
City of London Police
| Project Partner Challenge Grant
|
South London and Mausley NHS Trust | Project Partner Challenge Grant |
Unilever
| IAB Member |
Oldfield Consulting
| Project Partner Challenge Grant; Member Event |
Impromptu
| AIM Secondment Host |
JournoTECH | Innovation Fora; Member Events; Deep Dive Workshop |
Capgemini | IAB member
|
NewsAssist AI | Member Event |
Abertay University | AIM project |
University of Manchester | AIM project |
Loughborough University | Sandpit project; AIM project |
University of Bristol | Innovation forum ; Project partner challenge grant; Student placement |
University of Warwick | Sandpit project; Student placement |
Northumbria University | Sandpit project |
University of Glasgow | AIM project |
University of Bath | AIM project; Innovation Forum |
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College | Sandpit project; Innovation Forum; Internation Fellowship; Global Voices; Member event |
University of Nottingham | AIM project |
Lanacaster University | Sandpit project; AIM project; International Fellowship |
University of Greenwich | AIM project; Innovation Forum |
University of East London | AIM project |
Sussex University | Innovation Forum |
Newcastle University | Member Event |
AI Safety Nigeria | Innovation Forum |
Bournemouth University | Sandpit project; AIM project |
Cranfield University
| Sandpit project |
De Montfort University | Sandpit project |
Imperial College London | International Fellowship |
Kings College London | Sandpit project; International Fellowship |