This event will launch the Research Software London community.
When: Thursday 18th October 2018, 16:00 – 18:00
Where:
Solar Room
170 Queen’s Gate
Imperial College London
London SW7 2AZ
Event Details:
This event will launch the Research Software London Community. It will be held in the Solar Room at 170 Queen’s Gate on Imperial College London’s South Kensington Campus from 4pm-6pm on Thursday 18th October 2018.
Following the official launch of the community and a series of talks, there will be a drinks reception.
Agenda:
| 16:00 | Welcome and short introduction to Research Software London | Jeremy Cohen, EPSRC RSE Fellow, Imperial College London | ||
| Official launch of the Research Software London community | Nick Jennings, Vice Provost (Research and Enterprise), Imperial College London | |||
| 16:15 | Research Software Careers: Establishing Local, National and International Pathways | James Smithies, Director, King’s Digital Lab, King’s College London | ||
| 16:45 | Supporting the Development of Better Research Software | Edward Clarke, Senior Portfolio Manager, UKRI EPSRC | ||
| 17:00 | RSE in the UK and the RSE Society | Alys Brett, Software Engineering Team Leader and Co-Chair, UK RSE Association, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy | ||
| 17:15 | Networking and drinks reception |
Abstract: Research Software Careers: Establishing Local, National and International Pathways. James Smithies, Director, King’s Digital Lab
King’s College London eResearch was established in 2017, to increase digital research capability across the university. Its mandate extends from technical infrastructure to human resources, skills development, and training. One of our priorities has been to identify a community of research software professionals, and define clear career pathways for them. Our career development model is being trialled in King’s Digital Lab (KDL), a digital humanities and social science laboratory hosted in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. The model requires permanent contracts and defines clear promotion pathways, from entry level to Senior and Principal roles. Each role is aligned to IT and industry standards using the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). A promotions process requires staff to produce a portfolio, for assessment by an independent panel comprising the Vice Dean Research, Head of Professional Services, and external reviewers. The career development model is being circulated to local, national, and international colleagues, and will be freely distributed after the KDL trial is complete. The hope is that, rather than being a constraining model that restricts our understanding of what a ‘Research Software’ professional can be (either inside or outside King’s College London), it is built on and adapted for local circumstances. The long-term hope is that, by working to define local career pathways, we can contribute to professionalisation, job security, and job mobility in the UK and overseas. This talk will provide an overview of the career development pathway, a description of key roles and policies, and insight into issues that will be noted in the end of trial report’.
Event registration:
If you’d like to register to attend this event, contact Jeremy Cohen