ESS Discovery Project updates
Human Ethics (Project Manager: Ms Helen Fraser)
The project team has developed draft Terms of Reference and Standard Operating Procedures for Faculty low and negligible risk subcommittees. The proposed new process will be further refined and piloted with an initial Faculty before a staged implementation is undertaken in consultation with remaining Faculties and Institutes in the first half of 2017. The HREA beta-testing process is complete; NHMRC is currently considering feedback from UQ and other users and making revisions to the form. Access is still available to the HREA and further updates will be provided as information is made available.
Animal Ethics (Project Manager: Prof. Craig Franklin)
The redesign of the current application form is continuing, and the team progressing options to enhance competency training and assessment, as well as continuing to focus on process mapping and improvement.
Grants Management (Project Manager: Ms Cordelia Jackson)
The project team is focused on developing functional requirements for the new research management system, including the development of process maps for all types of contracted revenue. Once finalised the group will begin broader consultation on the research management system specifications and develop recommendations for digitization and improvement of existing processes.
Research Data Management (Project Manager: Prof Nick Hawkins)
The project team is continuing to work with stakeholders across the university to progress key research data management improvements; integrated data management plans, seamless allocation of central shared research data storage capability and digital research notebooks. Together these enhancements will ensure UQ provides integrated, best practice research data management infrastructure across the research data lifecycle.
Corporate Research Data (Project Manager: Dr Amberyn Thomas)
Central to effective corporate reporting of research data is effective collection of research data, so the project team has developed a discussion paper for consultation proposing a draft set of guiding principles in relation to the capture and recording of data relating to research performance. The team is also progressing a proposal to increase the adoption of ORCIDs across UQ. This will streamline the collection of research outputs of all UQ researchers and unambiguously link them to the UQ author.
Research Higher Degrees (Project Manager: Assoc Prof. Jane Stadler)
This group is focusing on the development of an e-portfolio, enhancing induction processes, investigating opportunities to introduce pre-confirmation checkpoints and develop consistency in candidature milestone processes. The team is also supporting the Graduate School in the development and implementation of the RHD Candidature Management System and Student Access Plans.
Research Partnerships and Contracts (Project Manager: Prof. Ian Godwin)
Work is continuing on benchmarking to identify potential improvement in the management of partnerships and contracts. The initial process mapping of major categories of contract/agreement workflows is continuing. The team is also considering options for improving access to data relating to contracts and partnerships.
Research Infrastructure (Project Manager: Ms Rebecca Osborne)
The project team met for the first time in August. The team has commenced the opportunity identification process and is focusing on a range of potential enhancements, including improving access to information regarding the availability and booking of equipment and facilities, and maximizing the access to, and usage of, research infrastructure.
Email enhancingservices@uq.edu.au for further information.
What is Research Data Storage and why is it important?
One of the key activities being progressed by the ESS Research Data Project Team is the development of mechanisms and infrastructure to seamlessly allocate researcher with secure and accessible shared research data storage. Unlike a number of other universities, including QUT (through its research data storage service) and Griffith University (via its Research Drive, Research Space and Research Archive), The University of Queensland does not have a centrally allocated or supported research data storage space available to all researchers.
Not only does this put us at a potential competitive disadvantage in attracting researchers, but it adds an administrative burden to our researchers and their collaborators. Having the electronic systems and support the accurate and efficient collection, storage and sharing of research data in a secure, easily accessible and actively supported environment offers the opportunity for researchers to greatly streamline their research endeavours, particularly when collaborating across the university or with external partners.
While a number of areas within the university offer some shared storage capacity for their researchers. there is no unified central storage across UQ. Developing such central capability (in conjunction with the additional work to develop integrated data management plans and make digital research notebooks more accessible) will realise a number of benefits for the University, research centres and individual researchers. These include:
- Maximising the overall value from entire research lifecycle.
- Creating an index or registry of research data at UQ, linked to resulting publications
- Delivering easy, secure and controlled on-campus and off-campus access to data for researchers and authorized research partners
- Ensuring data from completed projects (including raw data) is archived for future citation.
- Providing centrally provided support and assistance
- Helping achieve compliance with research grant conditions and publication requirements.
The ESS Research Data project team is working closely with stakeholders from across the university to identify the most appropriate model of shared storage to ensure its researchers have access to best in class research data storage and access capability.
Find out more about the ESS Research Data Management Project
Read more about Research Data Management at UQ.
View the NHMRC Statement on Data Sharing.
Important Dates and Events
ESS Discovery Update Information Sessions have been provided to a number of Faculty and Institute research committees across the university. Contact André Degreef if you would like to organize an information session for your researchers or research administrators.
Download the original ESS Discovery Update email.
