Focus group: The dRTP-PRISM Interface
Building Good Practice for Digital Research Collaboration
As research becomes more digital, how are PRISMs and dRTPs learning to work together? Whether it’s AI, large-scale data analysis, research software, digital collections, advanced computing, or new forms of digital methodology, more projects than ever are drawing on the expertise of Digital Research Technical Professionals (dRTPs) and depend on close collaboration between those dRTPs and Professional Research Investment and Strategy Managers (PRISMs)
As these collaborations become more common, many PRISMs and dRTPs are finding themselves navigating new ways of working together, which bring challenges alongside exciting opportunities for research. E.g.: How early should technical teams be involved in a project? What’s the best way to scope work and manage expectations? How can projects plan realistically for costs, timelines, and technical input? And, perhaps most fundamentally, how do you even find the right person to talk to when every institution structures its digital research teams differently?
This focus group is an opportunity for PRISMs and dRTPs to come together and explore these questions openly. Through short talks, discussion sessions, and collaborative activities, participants at every level of experience will share what’s worked, what hasn’t, including pain points and frictions that can arise when different priorities, systems, and working practices meet.
A key aim of the day is to turn the collective experience of the group into a short, practical guidance document for the PRISM community. This resource will help PRISMs better support digital research collaborations, and contribute to a clearer, shared understanding of the needs, constraints, and expertise that dRTPs bring to research projects.
This focus group is part of the Developing a Community of Leaders in Digital Research (DisCouRSE) project. Insights from the event will contribute to the project’s work to strengthen understanding, leadership, and collaboration across the digital research landscape.
Join us on the 24th of November to help shape this resource and connect with peers navigating the same challenges.
Tuesday 24 November, 11am-5pm (doors open 10:30am)
King’s College London
Note that this event is in-person only with no hybrid option. Register now.