A commitment to research infrastructures
supporting human & technology capacity of
core facilities, data service teams and other research infrastructures
What RIcapacity works on
Establishment of training programs for the future RI scientists in all European countries
We aim to see the training programs for future generations of Research Infrastructure Scientists at multiple academic organisations in Europe, and establish it as a standard career path toward this profession. To be a RI scientist, one needs a combination of advanced skills: broad scientific understanding, technology and method development expertise and skills to manage the operation of services in a way that supports user as well as goals of the hosting institute, funders, and other stakeholders.
RIcapacity is a partner on ARISE program (Career Accelerator for Research Infrastructure Scientist, ARISE2 ) run by European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, and 18 partners, funded by the EC Marie Curie COFUND grant. RIcapacity is responsible for training development and partnership development.
Consolidation of knowledge
RIcapacity works with the community to consolidate the knowledge about management of operations in research infrastructures, collating the operational methods used in different technology fields, or different national or local set ups, so that the broad overview of different possibilities to manage users, samples, technology development, data or finances are presented together and in relation to each other, showcasing different possibilities.
With this we are breaking the niches, where RI scientists learned from direct colleagues or individual use cases, and allowing the knowledge to flow and be used in different disciplines, fields and countries.
CAreer paths of RI scientists
Profession of the RI scientists is advanced scientific and technical role and an equal alternative to classical academic career path. RI scientists support and train users, enable them to use the technology, advise them on preparation of materials or data, maintain tools and instrumentation and improve them, developing new technology and methods.
Currently there is no agreement on the set of standard roles that are part of the RI, and thus no clear vision of career progression. RIcapacity works with the community to reach agreement on the naming of the roles. Participating in the Elixir Working Group on Careers in RI, we are analysing thousands of job advertisements and aiming to reach evidence based systematisation of the roles and their seniority levels.
TEchnology development
as an integral part of
rI activity
Core facilities and other research infrastructures (RIs) provide access to the cutting edge technologies, both through instrumentation/tools and through expertise to use these.
They are the perfect place for development of novel technologies and methods. Commercially available technologies get outdated fast and are not always suitable for all research samples and topics at your institute.
There are multiple benefits of Including technology development in the field of work of every RI: attractiveness of the jobs in RI to best scientists and engineers, increased use of external funds, collaboration with industry, industry as user of unique technology solutions, equal contribution of the RI teams to the success of the hosting institutes etc. –> read more.
How can RIcapacity support European RIs and RI scientists?
Setting up training programs for future or current RI scientists with academic organizations across Europe
Promoting technology development as an integral and necessary part of the RI
Raising funds to build capacity in research infrastructures (incl. writing and coordinating grant proposals)
Why technology development belongs in the research infrastructures?
Developing technology in the RI surrounding brings multiple benefits, coming from the competencies that RI scientists have and from the operation of the RI itself. These all speed up developments and make them broadly applicable for a wide variety of scientific questions.
Scientists working in the Research infrastructures:
- understand how different users use the technology and can develop it to be more user-friendly
- know the variety of samples that come to the facility and can design novel methods and techniques to accommodate for a wide variety of samples and scientific questions
- see many researchers and scientific samples, which enables them to easily recognize and understand unsolved needs of researchers
- do not work on their own scientific question, but on revolutionizing scientific analysis, in a way that can be useful to many researchers
Research Infrastructures:
- provide service to a wide variety of researchers on a regular basis, and can easily pilot the new technology early,
- can validate and demonstrate piloted technology in a set up where this will be used, bringing it faster to the to the readiness levels 4-6. At this level, technology can typically generate returns within 3-5 years already.
- often already host a wide range of instrumentation and materials that can be required for the novel technology development, avoiding the new purchases
- have good collaboration with industry, which could license the novel product and bring it on the market
Excellent facilities are necessary for fast scientific discoveries.
To have excellent facilities we need best scientists working in them and innovative technology.
- Want to work together and develop research infrastructures?
Tanja Ninkovic, PhD