Charlie Dormer on the new Grant Funding system at Research Data Network event. May 2016.

1. Grant Funding Programme
Research Data Network
Workshop
May18th 2016
Charlie Dormer, User Researcher

2. Grants Programme Progress
• Introduction to the Grants Funding Programme, our progress to date and our
approach
• What does the new service look like – a VERY early look
• Outcomes from JISC interoperability with the new service workshop (last
week)
2

3. • Build the foundation for what grant funding could/should be like in 5 years’ time
(35-45% of the way towards the vision)
• Build digital capability in the Research Councils and across BIS (skills transfer)
• Replace the current grants management system with a cost effective, flexible,
and inter-operable platform
• Allow RCs to spend less time in grant management through the use of digital
solutions to improve efficiency
• Create an improved experience for staff, applicants, peer reviewers and panel
members
• Reduce the costs of giving out grants to contribute to Research Council’s
overall operational cost reduction targets
• Ensure that we have the data and MI to make smart decisions for the future.
3
Create digital services that support the entire grant funding
process, from idea generation to impact reporting, that enables
the best possible funding of research excellence
We have until March 2017 to develop a basic product

4. 4
Agile approach means gradual introduction of
the new service
“An agile project is about creating fast iterations of products based on the
feedback of real users. It means regularly releasing small pieces of
functionality; constant communication between team members, and using
equipment that displays progress being made by your team”
Government Digital Service - Service Manual
For us this means
- Simple functionality first – March 2017 will be “stripped down” version
- Development continues through a period of joint running of Je-S and new
service (expected to be around a year)
- Even after new service becomes the only service, continued addition of new
functionality
- Bear this in mind when I talk about interoperability!

5. Everything we do is predicated round
detailed and extensive USER RESEARCH
This enables us to move to effective
SERVICE DESIGN
Through this we are developing and testing
iterative PROTOTYPES
5

6. Applying for a grant
Current system (Je-S)

7. Setting up and managing an opportunity
Current system
(Siebel)

8. Prototype
Development work has only started in the last month so no coded stories
but…

9. Interoperability
User Research has shown a strong desire to reduce re-keying and
duplication of data between Research Organisation and Research Council
systems (and between Research Council systems and Research Council
systems!)
New system – opportunity to build interoperability in the new service – the
benefit of building something new
Workshop last Wednesday with 50 Research Office administrators and
managers, providers of current systems, and members of the BIS Grants
Funding Team

10. Interoperability workshop – initial outcomes
Research
costings
Offer letterPeople and
organisatio
nal data
Student
data
Spend
reporting
Outcome
reporting
Equipment
data
Use unique
identifiers
for
equipment
data in
application
rather than
put all the
equipment
info in
Build on
current
work on
ORCID
(soon to be
in Je-S)
and
investigatio
n into
ISNO
APIs
between
most
common
costing
tools and
grants
service -
.csv file
upload for
others
Output
data
should be
“applied
for” and
“awarded”
amounts,
then API
back into
common
costing
tools or
.csv
API or .csv
upload into
FES –
challenge
is
investigato
rs’ directly
allocated
budget.
Facilitated
by single
grant,
multiple
recipents
model?
Data
exchange
with
HESA,
SITS
systems
Two way
interface with
Researchfish

11. Interoperability workshop – initial outcomes
Research
costings
Offer letterPeople and
organisatio
nal data
Student
data
Spend
reporting
Outcome
reporting
Equipment
data
Some of this is easier to implement
Some of this is rather more ambitious!
Workshop addressed opportunities and barriers as well as opportunities.
Recurrent potential barriers:
• Diversity of RO systems BUT almost half at workshop use the same costing tool –
a few big players and a tail
• Incomplete take up of ORCID etc/incomplete implementation of standards
• Time taken to implement new systems
• Accuracy, security and confidentiality

12. How to get involved
Extensive programme of User Research:
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Ethnography/observation
• Testing – remote
• Testing – face to face
• Are you interested in taking part? Could you nominate research office
staff/applicants/peer and panel reviewers who would be?
• Any further questions?
Charlie.dormer@digital.bis.gov.uk