New report on federation journeys for optimising the UK digital research infrastructure
A new report shared by an expert panel at Digital Universities UK discusses the potential for extending and identifying new collaborative digital research infrastructure (DRI) for a resilient, sustainable and inclusive research sector.
The report, entitled “Mapping federation journeys for optimising the UK digital research infrastructure”, demonstrates the vital role it plays in supporting inclusive, collaborative research and innovation systems across the UK and internationally.
The UKRI digital research infrastructure committee (DRIC) engaged Jisc to lead on the report which makes recommendations across seven themes and develops a roadmap to set out a collaborative research culture through the DRI supportive of multi-sector, inclusive and innovative research. It identifies the potential to transform DRI to be more collaborative and federated, offering an opportunity for sector-wide influence similar to the opportunity for open access 20 years ago.
The report was shared and discussed by an expert panel at the Digital Universities UK conference at Exeter University focused on optimising the UK’s digital research infrastructure in support of a low-bureaucracy, impactful research culture.
The panel included:
- Richard Gunn, programme director, digital research infrastructure, UKRI
- Michael Ball, head of theme for data science, Medical Research Council
- Emma Gordon, director of the Administrative Data Research UK Strategic Hub Economic and Social Research Council
- Thomas King, assistant director for research, Queen Mary University
Over 80 research experts contributed to the report with expertise in DRI development, policy and leadership. Researchers, research infrastructure and facility leaders, government and public sector research leaders and research funders contributed key insights.
Research professionals were asked about various topics such as commissioning and funding, people, culture and skills, trusted and secure research, data and output management and workflows, software and hardware, sustainability, service and capacity, and emerging disciplines and technologies.
Interviewees noted that they were operating at full capacity in a challenging landscape of rapid technological advances but were positive about the development of collaborative and federated approaches to the DRI. They raised the necessity to capitalise on new opportunities in a setting that will enable them to be addressed sector-wide.
Dr Victoria Moody, director of research and higher education for Jisc, said:
“The sustainability of the UK’s research infrastructure is a complex challenge. We aim to find ways to support all organisations involved in research and development to collaborate and innovate, and respond to new technologies, effectively, securely and at scale.
“The new report shows a real appetite for improved ways of working and increased collaboration across the sector. Our findings will help us develop a more coherent approach to sharing what works and changing what doesn’t, using data, digital and technology solutions.”
Richard Gunn, programme director, digital research infrastructure at UKRI, said:
“There are considerable benefits and efficiency gains from developing multi-tenanted DRI, and the report also picks up on the need to ensure that all researchers and innovators can equally benefit.
"We want to move away from a situation where access to digital infrastructure is artificially restricted by a researcher’s disciplinary background or affiliation. Removing these kinds of barriers through effective federation will not only improve the sustainability of DRI and make researchers more productive, but will also enable truly transformational challenge-based research.”
Read the full report, Mapping ‘federation journeys’ for optimising the UK digital research infrastructure.