Research IT Applications Group

Contents

Accountability
Scope
Terms of Reference
Membership
Meetings

Accountability

The Research IT Applications Governance Group is accountable to the Research IT Executive Group (RITE).

Scope

The scope of the Research Applications Group covers all IT services aimed at providing business intelligence regarding research activities at UCL, collaboration, publication, marketing and other University-wide research productivity, search and desk-based applications to the UCL research end-user community, such as:

• REF
• Research Information Management and Reporting
• Institution comparison tools and services (e.g. Academic Analytics).
• Research financial funding dashboard.
• Time sheeting tools.
• Contracts management.
• IRIS
• RPS
• Externally connected “networking/collaboration” tools
• Research equipment register.
• Internal UCL collaboration tools (as capability is introduced).

Areas considered within scope would include, but are not exclusively restricted to, tools and systems related to HEFCE research funding review cycles, management information dashboards and reporting tools, integration of HR, Finance, student datasets for senior management and administrator consumption, etc., as well tools and systems related to publication list management, repositories of publications, equipment/facility registers, intra-faculty implementations of eLabnotebooks, intra-faculty collaboration tools, external collaboration networking tools etc.

Terms of Reference

• Provide guidance and advice on the priorities of the Research Applications strategy with particular focus on the suitability of solutions, prioritisation, scale and timing of developments and deployments.

• Propose new areas of investment focus to the Research IT Executive:

  • Propose new projects or programmes where applicable.
  • Advise on suitability and priority of Research Applications projects/programmes.
  • Review the delivery timing of new Research Applications projects/programmes.
• Assist via open discussion and subsequently via briefings to the Research IT Executive, in the creation and maintenance of a Research Applications roadmap aligned with UCL’s research strategy.

• Monitoring the effective delivery and operation of Research Applications IT Services:

  • Recommend the commissioning of reviews of existing Research Applications IT Services.
  • Advise Research IT Executive regarding the inadequacy of existing Research Applications IT Services.
  • Monitoring the effective delivery and operation of Research Application services through agreed monthly KPIs and service reports.
  • Seek to continually improve the relevance, cost efficiency and efficacy of Research Information & IT Services.
  • Recommend changes in scope of existing Research Management IT Services, or the introduction of new services or applications.
  • Advise Research IT Executive on appropriate governance structures for Research Applications IT Services once accepted into production.
  • Advise on the introduction and acceptance of new services. Assist and advice on deriving the maximum value from new IT Services.

Membership

Co-opted Members

Membership will be augmented on an as needed basis by co-opting members, for a fixed time period, to join the group when topics requiring specific input are within scope of the group’s activities. In particular additional Academic Membership will be encouraged via this route.

Role of Academic Members

Academic Members of the group are valued for their input to discussions regarding:

• Usability of existing services by the academic community
• Highlighting barriers to effective use of existing and proposed services
• Bring to the attention of the group a view on the urgency for un-fulfilled needs of the academic community

Meeting Frequency and Format

The group will meet once or twice a term for two hours on a date to allow sufficient subsequent progress against actions, so providing meaningful input to the termly Research IT Executive meeting.

Additional outreach engagement activities related to the Research Applications Group will be conducted via visits to departmental meetings, research awaydays etc. as a mechanism to help appraise members of the academic community of relevant projects under Research Applications Group and the need for academic input in those projects and in steering the strategy of the Research Applications projects and services.

Meeting support will be provided by ISD.

Meeting minutes are provided below:

• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012