ARMA secures Research England funding to develop its Due Diligence work

PRESS RELEASE 25/05/2022

Efficiency, Equity, Quality and Security in International Research Collaboration

In May 2022, a consortium led by ARMA UK was awarded £99,149 from the Research England Emerging Priorities fund to explore how the recommendations made by the ARMA-led ‘Due Diligence in International Research – Options for Improved Efficiency, Equity and Quality’ report could be broadened to encompass all international research collaborations and address the Trusted Research agenda and wider security related issues.

Published in April 2021, the ARMA ‘Due Diligence in International Research’ report recommended that ‘HE sector agencies should collaborate to establish a due diligence clearing house and national service in support of due diligence for international research, funded in the first instance by a consortium of UK research funders and government departments’.

The Efficiency, Equity, Quality and Security in International Research Collaboration project will build on the initial report to deliver updated findings and recommendations by:

• Broadening the focus of this work beyond ODA funded research to include all international research collaborations and with an enhanced focus on Trusted Research, including links to export control and the NSI Act.
• Engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders to better understand current challenges with operationalising due diligence the requirements of Trusted Research.
• Understanding the feasibility of a clearing house and national service as part of a solution to the identified challenges and establishing the demand for such a service.
• Working in partnership with Jisc, drawing on their specific expertise in providing digital infrastructure and services to assess the feasibility of a clearing house for due diligence and Trusted Research.
•  Exploring appropriate ownership and funding models for a clearing house and national service and producing a detailed cost-benefit analysis to quantify the potential saving to the sector.

The ARMA-led consortium, which includes Northumbria University, University of Stirling and partner JISC,  will undertake a series of stakeholder engagement events in the coming months in order to produce a written report to Research England in October 2022.

Jennifer Stergiou, Chair of ARMA and Director of Research & Innovation Services at Northumbria University said:

“The ‘Efficiency, Equity, Quality and Security in International Research Collaboration’ project will enable ARMA to build upon our previous recommendations in this space to consider the implications of the Trusted Research agenda for how the HE sector undertakes due diligence. The project responds directly to needs identified by ARMA members, by funders, and other stakeholders across the sector. By keeping research management at the core of this project we aim to propose a series of recommendations on how due diligence and Trusted Research can be integrated in a way that promotes improved efficiency, equity, quality and security.”

David Sweeney, Research England Executive Chair and RED Fund Chair said:

“International collaboration is critical to our HE sector, but not without its challenges. Research England has seen commitment and continued levels of engagement from the sector across the Trusted Research and wider security agenda. We need to strengthen existing activities and identify opportunities to do more, but we need to do this safely, appropriately, and with confidence.  ARMA’s project will seek to identify a common solution for the sector which makes an increasingly complex regulatory landscape easier to navigate and I look forward to its report in the autumn.”

#ResearchDueDil 

For deliverables from the project so far, click here and select ‘Due Diligence for Trusted Research and Security in International Collaboration (Research England).’

For further information: enquiries@arma.ac.uk.