An overview of the DisCouRSE Network+ grant: Developing a Community of Leaders in RSE and related professions

I will introduce our newly funded UKRI Network+ grant, covering what we're aiming to accomplish in the next three years, and how we would like the whole community to get involved! Scaling and sustaining the impact of digital Research Technical Professional (dRTP) communities like ours requires developing leaders who have an amplifying effect. Our central premise is to build from the critical mass of the UK RSE community, connecting and training cohorts of leaders, who can use our flexible fund to advance the skills and careers of all digital RTPs (not just RSEs). Much work has already been done, but opportunities are varied across role types and locations. Most success has been achieved through related professions working together, not by treating RSEs as a special case. We therefore seek to identify and expand such best practice, build stronger connections between those facing similar challenges, across sectors, and thereby make greater impact more rapidly. We are also investing in developing the Digital Research Competencies Framework to inform what training is needed for leaders, and partnering with existing experts to develop and deliver this at scale. This talk will give a brief overview of the project and launch our first flexible funding call for proposals. We will distribute £1,000,000 as seed funding in multiple rounds over the next 3 years. I will describe the types of submission we are looking for (e.g. pilot projects, workshop series, training programmes, and the like) and how to apply for funding. Related sessions with more interaction include 123, 127, and the training satellite day on Friday.A recording of this session is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B7fiGbTotdk