ARMA seeks contributors for PinPoint editions on Diversity data, Digital Ethics and Bullying and Harassment – new deadline of Monday 11 May

In March we announced our new series of research policy briefings: ‘PinPoint’. Each briefing will examine a recent policy change relevant to ARMA members, and outline the ways in which it has been implemented.  It is set to become a valuable resource, with a unique focus on making research policy operationally useful.

PinPoint briefings will be authored by an editorial group, drawn from the Protagonist Working Group. But, crucially, they depend on contributions from those with experience of using and applying research policy: you!

Progress is going well but we do need more views from our members, so we have re-opened our Call for contributors for the first three policy briefings, which are detailed below. If you would like to contribute to any of these, please submit an expression of interest to the relevant author by 9am on Monday 11 May. Please include in your email a summary of how you may be able to contribute and your relevant experience.

If you have any broader comments or suggestions for future PinPoints, please contact chloe.jeffries@manchester.ac.uk

1. Diversity Data: Policy Briefing

In production: to contribute please email Hannah Rees

It is vital that the UK recruits and advances the careers of a diverse range of researchers, both for the sake of advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and for attracting and retaining the most talented people.

UKRI EDI policies have a significant, positive impact on the way that universities and research organisations employ and retain staff, recruit students, and collect data. This policy briefing will provide a specific update on the UKRI priority of Diversity Data. 

Research Councils publish diversity datasets on an annual basis on grant and fellowship applications, doctoral student populations and co-investigator data. This requires universities and research organisations to ensure that they are capturing the correct information through various processes: student recruitment, development of fellowship applications, creation of bids and more.

The information required by UKRI for diversity data purposes includes gender, age, ethnicity and disability (for student population only). This information is often required to be anonymised and collected at point of application, as well as monitored during shortlisting and selection processes. 

Diversity datasets enable the UKRI to set benchmarks, identify EDI challenges, track progress against these challenges and address new issues as they emerge.

The aim of this policy briefing is to provide ARMA members with an overview of:

• The broader UKRI EDI context.
• The requirements and parameters of the annual publication of Diversity Data.
• An insight into how universities and research organisations are implementing these requirements through new or improved processes.

If you have expertise or examples to share in responding to UKRI EDI policies and / or collecting Diversity Data, please contact Hannah Rees to contribute.

2. Digital Ethics: Policy Briefing

In production: to contribute please email Tracey Duncombe

Emerging technologies create a number of ethical challenges that need to be considered by all stakeholders, and at the earliest possible opportunity.

The effects of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are already being felt on society with a wide range of potential applications being explored: from helping doctors diagnose medical conditions more effectively to allowing people to communicate across the globe using instantaneous speech recognition and translation software. Across industry and the public sector, organisations are working to develop their own digital ethics principles, policies and processes as issues of fairness, responsibility and accountability are increasingly called into question.

The recent launch of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is one of a number initiatives that are seeking to bring ethics and innovation together. The CDEI’s aim: to analyse and anticipate the opportunities and risks posed by data-driven technology and put forward practical and evidence-based recommendations to address them. While, in 2018 the Open Data Institute joined forces with the UK Government’s Office for Artificial Intelligence and Innovate UK to assess data trusts as a potential approach to increasing trust and access to data.

The aim of this policy briefing is to provide ARMA members with an overview of:

• The relationship between data ethics and legal compliance
• Issues that might arise in digital/data practice
• Stewarding a culture of responsible innovation

If you have expertise or examples to share on developing or implementing an institutional code of practice, policy or framework on digital/data ethics please contact Tracey Duncombe to contribute.

3. Bullying and Harassment: Policy Briefing

In production, please email Chloe Jeffries to contribute.

A number of major research funders (Wellcome Trust, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK) have introduced new policies around bullying and harassment, with further organisations expect to follow suit. The most significant change is that these funders now require research organisations to tell them when a bullying and harassment investigation has been launched. That is to say, open as well as upheld allegations.

Whilst recognising the reasons for revised bullying and harassment policies, we urgently need to collate experiences of implementing this policy to date, to help support colleagues across a range of institutions and, where necessary, feed back to the funders.

The aim of this policy is to provide ARMA members will an overview of:

• Recent changes to funder bullying and harassment policies
• Processes developed by institutions in response to these changes, particularly those developed in consultation with Human Resources, Research Contracts, and Information Management and Compliance teams
• Experience-based suggestions to collectively put back to funders as they now seek to embed or revise bullying and harassment policies,

If you have expertise or examples to share on developing or implementing an institutional process around bullying harassment, please contact Chloe Jeffries to contribute.