SDSN’s Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics (TReNDS) program was a global data research network launched in 2015, dedicated to advancing policy and technical solutions for sustainable development. SDSN concluded TReNDS at the end of 2024 in order to adapt to the evolving global development environment. This decision involved several consultations with TReNDS’ Expert Members, Co-Chairs, and SDSN leadership.
The network aimed to convene leading data actors to discuss the power and potential of data to improve equitable progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to catalyze policy change by providing new insights from a wide variety of non-governmental data sources.
Between 2015-2024, TReNDS expanded its expert membership to more than 35 leading academics and practitioners worldwide spanning the global scientific, development, public, and private sectors. The network produced several noteworthy reports, including Counting on the World (2017), Counting on the World to Act (2019), Leaving No One off the Map: A Guide for Gridded Population Data for Sustainable Development, and Testing the Assumptions of the Data Revolution. Its members and Secretariat also collaborated with many national governments and partners to promote evidence-informed approaches to data curation and management in support of the SDGs.
TReND’s final report was published in October 2024, which reflected on the network’s achievements over the past ten years and proposed ideas for the next steps. The work of TReNDS formally concluded on December 31, 2024, and transitioned several of its initiatives to SDSN’s SDGs Today program. For updates on ongoing initiatives, visit www.sdgstoday.org or email sdgstoday@unsdsn.org.
