Supporting Research Data Management at University of Bristol

Ongoing RDM Support at the University of Bristol Stephen Gray, Project Manager data.bris IT Services R&D / ILRT Using emerging learning and research technologies to enable excellence

Discussed ~ Research data before 2012 Research data pilot 2012-2013 Research data 2013-2015 Research data 2015+ IT Services R&D / ILRT

Bristol University, pre-2012 IT Services R&D / ILRT

Background Russell Group member 6 Faculties: Social Science & Law, Science, Engineering, Arts and 2x Medical Faculties UoB employs 2,288 researchers (excluding PhDs) In 2011 UoB made 1,671 research funding applications In 2011 UoB received 702 grants (42% success rate) In 2011 UoB received 106M research income In 2011 UoB produced 4,713 research outputs IT Services R&D / ILRT

Background: Pre-2012 RDM support Library Service IT Support RED IT Services R&D / ILRT

IT Services support pre-2012 2m Research Data Storage (only) Facility launched in 2011. Each PI has 5TB storage without charge (additional storage charged) Arts Digital Support Officer : 0.2 post for digital humanities support Ad hoc research computing work (charged to grants) IT Services R&D / ILRT

Library support pre-2012 ROSE, a small-scale Institutional Repository (0.2 FTE) Excellent subject knowledge via Subject Librarians Experience of parallel agenda of Open Access to research outputs IT Services R&D / ILRT

Research, Enterprise & Development support pre-2012 Pure (by Atira/Elsevier), new research information system Assistance for researchers at pre-award stage (only) Training e.g. Grant Writing for each Faculty (excluded RDM) IT Services R&D / ILRT

Pre-2012: what we didnt have I don t know who to go to for help with all the things that my funder now says I should be doing. A clear institutional policy on RDM Pre-award, DMP support A means to share research data/work collaboratively A means to publish & cite research datasets RDM training for researchers IT Services R&D / ILRT

18 month pilot service, started 2012 250k from Jisc, 65k from EPSRC, some UoB funding Team consisted of IT & Library staff IT Services R&D / ILRT

Pilot service: Objectives Build a one-stop-shop for all things research data Author & have approved a clear Institutional Policy on RDM Offer pre-award, DMP support Develop a means to share research data/work collaboratively Develop a means to publish & cite research datasets Offer RDM training for researchers ***Secure ongoing service funding, post Spring 2013*** IT Services R&D / ILRT

Pilot service IT Services R&D / ILRT

Business case development IT Services R&D / ILRT

Business case development IT Services R&D / ILRT

Business case: challenges We don t know what RDM is, so it can t be important. Yes it can. Ref: RCUK, Royal Society, Government, Nature, Cancer Research But we already paid for all that storage Only for storage. Not a full RDM Service. If we wait the problem will go away [i.e. RDM Policies will not be enforced]. It won t go away. Instead, Exeter will get all the research money. IT Services R&D / ILRT

Business case: challenges (continued) The University has no money to spare. We ll have even less money if you don t fund this (see above points). All this compliance is too negitive, what will it allow us to DO? Raise the profile UoB research, recruit top researchers and make more money. Sounds good - could you do this with x1 new post? No. IT Services R&D / ILRT

Business case development IT Services R&D / ILRT

Business case development IT Services R&D / ILRT

Inside the business case Research Data Service: 2013-2015 IT Services R&D / ILRT

Research Data Service: 2013-2015 When? August 2013 August 2015 Who? Owned by Library Services (in partnership IT Services with assistance from RED) Non-staff costs are marginal: 1x web server, Datacite license etc. Staff: 1x Service Director, 3x Research Data Librarians, 1x Technical Support IT Services R&D / ILRT

Research Data Service: 2013-2015 Current staffing level is a minimum, in a year, 1x Research Data Librarian might: Manually validate 405 data deposits (32% of UoB total) Input into 270 DMPs (16% of expected annual total) Deliver training to 15% of current research staff Deliver 12x Faculty-level advocacy events per year IT Services R&D / ILRT

Research Data Service: 2013-2015 Some DMPs will be manually checked But Self-help guidance in also place In-person training available But click-through , online training also available Datasets validated manually at first But self-deposit of datasets also in place Research Data Librarians at core But secondary network also being developed IT Services R&D / ILRT

The future: 2015+ IT Services R&D / ILRT

RDM as a permanent service How much RDM help do UoB researchers need? Do related agendas make RDM easier or harder? (esp. Research IT Support & Open Access publishing) What will funder/publishers do over the next 2 years? What will other HEIs do over the next 2 years? Can RDM support services realistically be shared between institutions? IT Services R&D / ILRT

RDM as a permanent service ? What RDM activities will funders be willing to cover: In-project data storage? In-project data QA? In-project metadata creation? End of project data processing (curation, standardising, anonymisation etc.)? Ongoing data storage? Ongoing data curation/active digital preservation? IT Services R&D / ILRT

Lessons learned IT Services R&D / ILRT

Making the business case, some lessons learned High level (PVC) buy-in was vital Beware related agendas esp. Open Access & Research IT Funder (esp. EPSRC) & academic publisher policies do carry weight IT Services R&D / ILRT

Making the business case, some lessons learned Opening up new research possibilities (e.g. big data ) carry more weight Be prepared to give up. Cut back to the minimum and no more Describe next phase as further exploration not a solution IT Services R&D / ILRT

IT Services R&D / ILRT