What’s in it for us? CERIF and Research Information Management - JISC Conference 2011, Stuart Bolton

1. What’s in it for us? CERIF and Research Information Management Stuart Bolton JISC Advance 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 1

2. Government Drivers for Change in Research Management General trend towards greater transparency, accountability and a need for cost saving Manifests itself in two ways for Research Information Management: Research Excellence Framework Shared Services/Flexible Delivery Agenda Relying on HEFCE and other funding councils to take the agenda forward 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 2

3. JISC Initiatives JISC is supporting the Development in many ways including: JISC infoNet ‘Shared Services/Flexible Delivery’ infokit JISC infoNet ‘ICT Implications of the Research Excellence Framework (REF)’ infokit ‘Readiness for REF’ (R4R) project Two rounds of institutional projects ‘Research Information Management’ (RIM) infoKit ‘Exchanging Research Information in the UK’ project (EXRI-UK) 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 3

4. EXRI-UK Project Finished end of 2009 Tasked to investigate whether there is a need for a common format for the exchange of UK research information and if so recommend what the standard should be. Based on scenarios of who needs information, what information they need and when they need it. Final report published spring 2010 Key recommendation that the UK adopt (Common European Research Information Format) CERIF 2008 as the UK common exchange format. 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 4

5. EXRI-UK Business Case Project report accepted but funding councils and RCs wanted to know if there was a business case for the adoption of CERIF June 2010 Stuart Bolton contracted to develop the business case. The business case was to take the form of a cost/benefit analysis. Wherever possible the analysis was to concentrate on quantifiable benefits and costs. Though where they existed qualitative and reputational benefits should also be identified. Report published autumn 2010 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 5

6. Universal Costs In order to input and output CERIF users need to have: Either a CERIF compliant CRIS Annualized over 10 years for purchase, maintenance and R&D Costs vary from £10,450 – £20,880 p.a. Depending on institutional size etc. Or a CERIF ‘wrapper’ for your non CERIF CRIS Development plus R &D £13,000 p.a. 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 6

7. Benefits Stuck to the scenarios identified in the EXRI-UK report: Institution Institution Institution HEFCE Institution Research Council Major data flows: Research Excellence Framework (REF) Research Grant Applications Research Output Reporting Institutional web sites Academic CVs Personal Web Pages 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 7

8. Institution to HEFCE EXRI identified the major interaction to be the RAE, now changed to the REF. Last RAE was 2008. RAE ran every seven years, REF (probably) every five (subsequently changed to six). Independent report concluded that RAE 2008 cost £1127 per academic submitted. (Majority of the costs come late in the cycle.) Annualized this gives: 1127/5 = £225 per academic per year Therefore for an institution with 1,000 academics: 225*1000 = £225,000 per annum 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 8

9. Possible REF Savings EuroCRIS estimate savings of about 25% for a CERIF to CERIF interface The institution with 1,000 submitted academics would save: £225,000/100*25 = 56,250 p.a. All institutions know how many academics were submitted to the RAE so can do the maths! HEFCE are committed to providing a CERIF interface for the REF. 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 9

10. Institution to Research Council EXRI identified two major interactions: Grant applications Reporting research outcomes 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 10

11. Research Grant Applications Independent research reports that institutions spent £86 million in 2008 making and tracking grant applications. In 2008 there were 11,000 applications for grants with gives an average institutional expenditure of £6,951 per grant application. EuroCRIS estimate savings of 33% for a CERIF to CERIF interface. This gives savings of £2,317 per application. Annual savings to institutions are: 2317* number of applications E.g. For an institution making 100 applications: 2317 * 100 = 231,700 Noplans to redevelop J-ES 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 11

12. Research Outputs Reporting New to the UK so no existing cost estimates to compare with CERIF. However FRIS in Belgium/Flanders has some common features and they are hoping for a 1.25% efficiency gain in year 1 rising to 5% in year 4. If this were applied to the 42,000 researchers in UK H.E. it would realise savings of £28,350,000 in year one alone! ROP cancelled. Current plans involve consolidating around existing systems. 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 12

13. Quantifying Savings Most of the savings identified come from efficiency savings: Saving administrators time Saving Research Managers time Saving Academics time Not (necessarily) money in the bank 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 13

14. Research Information Management Infokit Large complex piece of work covering: A survey of Institutional Research Information Management tactical and strategic development. Case studies of differing approaches to RIM Systems/CRISs in institutions Good practice guidance Syntheses of outputs from JISC funded RIM projects CERIF Including a ‘savings’ calculator http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/research/ref/savings/index.html Links to other related resources 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 14

15. Thank You Any Questions? Stuart Bolton email: Stuart@stuartbolton.com tel: +44113 2672589 Mobile: +447903 344634 website: www.stuartbolton.com 21/03/2011| Supporting education and research | Slide 15