In July this year a call went out to the researcher and research communities for people to apply to become a member of Research IT Academic Advisory Group (RITAAG) . We were very pleased with the enthusiasm with which the call was received and with the number of applicants that we had for the group. The group met for the first time in October and this seems like a good time to report back!
The main aim of RITAAG is to act as the key sounding board for connecting researchers and the direction and operation of Research IT. Through the group, members will give the academic research community a strong and coherent voice in the operation, development, and implementation of the University’s IT Strategy for Research. It is important that all Faculties, appropriate PS Directorates, and researchers at all career stages have an input to this, and to the Research Lifecycle Programme investments – both current and future.
To give a bit more detail RITAAG will:
- Ensure that Research IT platforms and services are used fairly across the University
- Provide feedback on the current and future IT needs of researchers, both at the University and their external collaborators.
- Ensure that Research IT services meet the strategic research goals of the University and those provided by funding bodies in the immediate and longer term.
- Ensure that any plans deliver operationally to raise the capabilities available for researchers.
In order to do all this RITAAG will feed into several other senior governance groups including the Research IT Strategy and Change Management Board (RITSCMB) and the Research Lifecycle Project Board.
The group will also be involved in promoting and championing the University’s Computation and Data in Research (CaDiR) community. Anyone in the research community can become a member of CaDiR and engage with researchers from across the University in common areas of interest such as data science, imaging, mapping and GIS, and more. Researchers can also set up their own special interest or user groups within the space by completing a simple form.
So how do you as a member of the research community at the University feedback to RITAAG and express your views? We have done our best to ensure that the group comprises of a diverse spread of experience and opinion by setting aside a number of places in the group for members at specific career stages and in specific areas of the University. The list of RITAAG members is below:
- Alex Casson, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Bill Ayres, The University of Manchester Library
- Conor Fitzpatrick, Department of Physics & Astronomy
- Danna Gifford, Division of Evolution & Genomic Sciences
- David Topping, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Gail Millin-Chalabi, School of Environment, Education and Development
- Ian Gifford, The University of Manchester Library
- Julia Handl, Alliance Manchester Business School
- Linus Johannissen, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology
- Michael Fisher, Department of Computer Science
- Paola Carbone, Department of Chemical Engineering & Analytical Science
- Penny Richardson, Research IT
- Rachel Dockry, Division of Infection, Immunity & Respiratory Medicine
- Reka Solymosi, Department of Criminology
- Robert Haines, Research IT
- Russell Garwood, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Shan Shi, School of Social Sciences
- Sophie Nixon, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology
- Timothy Cootes, Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences
- Yulian Manchev, Department of Chemistry
At the first meeting at the end of October, the group members were tasked with feeding back on several areas of research IT provision at the University. If you would like to pass on any thoughts or comments about anything Research IT related, please get in touch with a relevant RITAAG member.