Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

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UK research secures new national data centre

A new Jisc shared data centre housing the data of six leading UK scientific and academic organisations will enable the sharing of high volumes of data. The facility represents a significant example of asset sharing in the sector with the potential to deliver cost savings and reduce the procurement needs of institutions.

N8 highlights the impact of asset sharing across UK universities

The report, which reveals asset sharing's role in delivering innovation, increased productivity, and maximum value for public investment, helped to shape Thursday's Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money report by Universities UK.
Scientific research equipment

Raising the return: the benefits and opportunities from equipment sharing

Sharing equipment will be a key theme in Professor Sir Ian Diamond’s forthcoming report on efficiency in higher education. Sarah Jackson and Luke Georgiou introduce findings from the study of this activity which show that it is helping to advance scientific research while delivering value to the public purse.
Unit DX Bristol Large Lab

Unit DX – a leaner approach to creating bio incubation centres

Unit DX opens its doors this month in the centre of Bristol, providing evidence of how universities' expertise is benefiting local economies. Created to solve...

Managing research contracts: Report for Brunswick Group October 2013

This report examines research contracts administration and includes benchmarking of resourcing levels and identifies best practice. Produced by Research Consulting for the Brunswick group of research intensive universities, October 2013.
Peter Simpson, director of N8

Peter Simpson of N8: ‘deep collaboration is now the norm’

The N8 group of northern universities has a new director, Dr Peter Simpson. We caught up with the former AstraZeneca department head who nurtured collaborative projects at the pharmaceutical giant to find out his plans to encourage collaboration in higher education.

Keeping quality equipment asset records – poster

To achieve the best results from an equipment database, the quality of titles, descriptions, location and contact information has to be correct and helpful. To support this need, the equipment.data team at the University of Southampton has published a poster providing advice on appropriate content for an equipment or facility record.

Tell Jisc your equipment sharing needs

Jisc is carrying out a survey to better understand the decision to share a piece of equipment and interact with equipment databases. This ten minute long survey aims to help the team behind equipment.data support institutions and to establish requirements for additional features or an improved user experience.
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S-Lab – time for consolidation and long-term planning

S-Lab, the programme that aims to create more sustainable laboratories, has grown rapidly and now needs to consolidate, and become less dependent on a few individuals,...
Scientist using electron microscopy equipment

Sharing equipment – a welcome efficiency?

The dramatic cuts in capital funding in 2011 rocked academics working in scientific research. However as Lancaster University VC Mark Smith reports, this shock to the system has enabled the concept of equipment sharing to gain real ground.