recognizing research technologists in the research process
TRANSCRIPT
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New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 1
Recognising “Research Technologists” in the Research Process
Matthew DoveyPrincipal Consultant (Research e-Infrastructure)
Jisc Technologies and Janet Strategic Technologies
2012 e-IPF Paper on Research Technologists
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 2
Jisc, Surf, CSC
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Background
Across the globe e-Infrastructure is seen as essential for
research to support digital agendas, knowledge economies &
competitive and valuable research.
• Research is now undertaken by collaborative teams – different research areas BUT also experts in different aspects of the research process.
• New skills and without these in place research is hindered.
• Across disciplines – physical sciences –humanities .
• Software development to modelling results to data curation to training in ICT facilities for research.
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“It is important to place a higher value upon the position of
“scientific programmer” and also “data scientist” in the
academic environment and to offer more career opportunities to
these staff. Scientific programmers combine the knowledge of
the …discipline with implementation, optimisation and
parallelisation for high end systems: they are important in
obtaining highly efficient application implementations.
Scientists outside the domains of engineering and the physical
sciences are particularly unlikely to have been exposed to the
necessary skills, and will need special mentoring if they are to
make the most of the opportunities offered by e-Science.”
e-Infrastructure vision for the UK, DBIS, 2012
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 4
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http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/briefingpapers/2011/bpsupportingresearchers.aspx 5
6http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/briefingpapers/2011/bpsupportingresearchers.aspx
7http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/briefingpapers/2011/bpsupportingresearchers.aspx
Current status
These essential roles have been developed in an ad hoc way.
• Roles have emerged
• Hired on short termed basis & short term funding
• Early career researchers that have these leanings
› (they take on the role for the research team / dept – less time on
› their research and little formal recognition).
• Sometimes from ICT support services
• Research teams recognise these roles are needed but they currently do not often get recognised in peer review
Lack of satisfaction, impact on career prospects, high staff turnover, less efficient & effective research process
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 8
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Solutions Considered
• Build professional recognition (c.f. learning technologists)
• Professional development
• Allow a community to work together to raise awareness of their importance in the research process
• Career paths
• Forums to share expertise, practice & trends
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 9
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Component Steps
Advocacy – influence policy & resource
allocations for the role. To ensure senior
managers understand the importance.
Training – basic level training for all researchers
on use & impact of ICT. Redeploy workers from
overlapping roles, ensure they and researchers
who take on this role are trained/up to date.
Embedding – incorporate research technologist
in research process, recognition & reward.
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New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 11
March 2013, Corpus Christi College, Oxford
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Recognising “Research Technologists” in the Research Process Workshop
Workshop Overview
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 12
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11-12 March 2013
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
17 delegates from the UK, the Netherlands,
Denmark, Finland, Germany, the EU
Commission and the US representing
academic, political and commercial interests.
• Agenda covered current and future activities among member EU states toward recognising research technologists and the coordination and support that delegates felt was needed from the EU
• Discussed current activities across Europe• Highlighted what has been achieved on the road to recognition of research
technologists, what has worked and what has not worked in member states• Discussed future activities in the areas of Advocacy, Embedding and Training and
identified in work already undertaken
Conclusions» The difficulty in finding an adequate definition strikes at the core of the issues
facing the RT role.
› It has an identity problem. Its community includes those performing interdisciplinary support roles encompassing or falling between software developer, technician, researcher and project manager. Given the breadth of the work undertaken in this community, it may be that the RT is best thought of as a concept rather than a role.
» The RT community comprises three types of people:
› those with an IT background;
› those with an academic or research background;
› interdisciplinary researchers
» There is a risk that one may be given greater weighting or importance than another, leading to a hierarchy within the community, implications for recognition, remuneration and training, and therefore long-term implications for research itself. Many “research technologists” regards themselves as collaborators rather than support.
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 13
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Institutional
and funding
council
structures and
policies
ICT facilities
and associated
support
Training
researchers
Transforming
or making
available
research
outputs
Creating
technology
Creating
innovation
Developing
software
Using tools and
e-infrastructure
Data curation
and
management
Services and
solutions
RESEARCH
“Skills Wheel”
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. 14
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Institutional
and funding
council
structures and
policies
ICT facilities
and associated
support
Training
researchers
Transforming
or making
available
research
outputs
Creating
technology
Creating
innovation
Developing
software
Using tools and
e-infrastructure
Data curation
and
management
Services and
solutions
RESEARCH
Researcher
“Researcher”
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. 15
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Institutional
and funding
council
structures and
policies
ICT facilities
and associated
support
Training
researchers
Transforming
or making
available
research
outputs
Creating
technology
Creating
innovation
Developing
software
Using tools and
e-infrastructure
Data curation
and
management
Services and
solutions
RESEARCH
ICT Capable
Researcher
“ICT-skilledResearcher”
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. 16
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Institutional
and funding
council
structures and
policies
ICT facilities
and associated
support
Training
researchers
Transforming
or making
available
research
outputs
Creating
technology
Creating
innovation
Developing
software
Using tools and
e-infrastructure
Data curation
and
management
Services and
solutions
RESEARCH
Specialist Support“IT Support”
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. 17
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Institutional
and funding
council
structures and
policies
ICT facilities
and associated
support
Training
researchers
Transforming
or making
available
research
outputs
Creating
technology
Creating
innovation
Developing
software
Using tools and
e-infrastructure
Data curation
and
management
Services and
solutions
RESEARCH
Research
Technologist
Support &
Knowledge Transfer
“Research Technologist”
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. 18
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Recommendations (1)
1. To help gain credibility and professional recognition, the RT community should deploy the reporting and assessment model developed by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). The objective of this action should be to convince member states that it is in their interests to establish the demand for RT collaborative services.
2. The RT community needs a vehicle through which it can establish RT as a profession distinct from researcher and support services and promote the sharing of knowledge within the profession. To this end, work should be undertaken to formalise the regular meetings of the ad hoc committee by establishing a structure less formal than an institute but one which could attract funding from member states to support it.
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 19
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Recommendations (2)3. In order to establish the credentials of RT in both the humanities
and computer science communities, a reference model should be created which defines the RT competencies independent of their implementation. This should establish the minimum qualifications required in certain fields. It should be supported by a catalogue of case studies to define what effective collaboration looks like.
4. Within the research community, work should be undertaken to clarify and, if possible, to codify the expectations of RTs, their employers and funders.
5. Work should also be undertaken to establish the mechanics of recognising the non-research contribution of the RT role, to show what needs to be written into project proposals to attract funding for RTs.
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 20
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Digital Roles of the Future ResearcherNew Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 21
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InformationManager
DataManager
Technologist
PRManager
ProjectManager
Researchers – Research Technologists – Research Support
New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 22
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Challenges:which skills do researchers need?which skills do research support need?which skills flow between?
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New Data Scientists. Roles, Responsibilities, Education, and Identities. slide 23
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