About the UKRDS
As a national shared digital research data service, UKRDS would form a crucial component in the UK’s e-infrastructure for research and innovation, adding significantly to the country’s global competitiveness.
The UKRDS Project tested the feasibility of providing a framework of standards and procedures to encourage researchers to submit their valuable data to the service, confident that it would be held securely for the long term. Where appropriate it would be made available to others under a set of conditions, agreed by the original producer of the data.
The project established the feasibility of an approach based on embedding skills and infrastructure within HEIs supported by a national framework for policy and service development, training and advocacy. The project is now building on the business case and developing detailed recommendations and plans for a possible Pathfinder service implementation based on selected projects from the Case Study HEIs at Bristol, Leeds,Leicester and Oxford.
Steering Committee
Terms of Reference
- To provide strategic oversight of the Feasibility Study ('the project') from the appointment of the Consultants to the completion of the project.
- To provide advice and guidance to the Project Director and the Project Manager on stakeholder priorities in relation to research data.
- To facilitate access by the Consultants to key stakeholder communities.
- To receive and approve the initial briefing, and regular progress reports from the Project Manager.
- To receive and approve the final report of the project.
- To play a leading role in the implementation of the project communications and advocacy plan.
- To participate in the dissemination of outcomes from the project and to be advocates in implementing the recommendations of the study.
Members
| Professor John Wood (chair) |
Principal of Engineering, Imperial College |
| Professor Ian Diamond | Chief Executive of ESRC and chair of RCUK |
| Tim Marshall | Chief Executive, Janet UK |
| Paul Hubbard | Head of Research Policy, HEFCE |
| Malcolm Read | Executive Secretary, JISC |
| Professor David Ingram | Director of the Centre of Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education, University College London, and member of RIN Advisory Board |
| Richard Boulderstone | Director of e-Strategy, British Library |
| Professor Chris Rawlings | Head of Biomathematics and Bioninformatics, Rothamsted Research, BBSRC |
| Jean Sykes | Chief Information Officer, LSE |
| Stephen Pinfield | Chief Information Officer, University of Nottingham |
| Neil Geddes | Director eScience, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
| Martin Lewis | Director of Library Services and University Librarian, University of Sheffield |
| Wendy Piatt | Director-General, Russell Group |
| Linda Bradley | Head of Research Policy Dept of Employment and Learning |
| Mario Campolargo (Corresponding member) |
Head of Unit for Research Infrastructure European Commission |
| John Coggins | Research Information Network |
| David Gani | Director of Research Policy and Strategy Scottish Funding Council |
| David Grant | Vice-Chancellor Cardiff University |
| Michael Jubb | Director, Research Libraries Network |
| Simon Kerridge | ARMA |
| David Lynn | Head of Strategic Planning and Policy Wellcome Trust |
| Liz Lyon | Director, UKOLN |
| John Milner (Secretary) |
UKRDS Project Manager |
| Tim Phillips | Director of Information Systems and Computing University of Bristol |
| Linda Tiller | Senior Strategic Projects Manager HEFCW |
| Anne Trefethen | University of Oxford e-Research Centre |
| Astrid Wissenburg | Director for Communication and Information ESRC |
Project Management Board
Terms of Reference
- To ensure that appropriate project plans and documentation are in place.
- To ensure compliance with the terms of the HEFCE grant under the Shared Services initiative.
- To receive and approve regular progress reports from the Project Manager.
- To provide advice and guidance to the Project Manager on a regular basis.
- To approve the progress reports for submission to the Steering Committee.
- To liaise with the Consultants.
- To liaise with HEIs participating as case studies.
- To play a key role in the implementation of the project communications and advocacy plan.
Members
| Jean Sykes | Chief Information Officer, LSE |
| Martin Lewis | Director of Library Services and University Librarian, University of Sheffield |
| Tim Phillips | Director of Information Systems and Computing, University of Bristol |
| Stephen Pinfield | Chief Information Officer, University of Nottingham |
| Lynne Tucker | Deputy Director of ISS and Chief Technology Officer, Kings College London |
| Matthew Dovey | Programme Manager (e-Research), Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) |
| Simon Hodson | Programme Director, e-Research JIISC Executive |
| Suzanne Wilson | Senior Higher Education Policy Adviser HEFCE |
| Dr Gina Woodward (secretary) |
Associate Director, Information Services, Cardiff University |



