New avenues for improving research management services through regional research information systems

Abstract

Over the past decades, the administrative burden on the research community has vastly expanded. In order to support research managers in their daily operation, research information systems have been built that are aimed at supporting research management processes and the efficient re-use of information for multiple purposes. Through the use of CERIF, the Common European Research Information Format, developed and maintained by euroCRIS, multiple research information systems can be connected and, importantly, can exchange research information in an interoperable manner.

In Flanders, such a regional information management system has been established, and a portal termed FRIS (researchportal.be) has been built on top of this. This seminar focuses on the design and architecture of the FRIS systems and details the vast range of opportunities that research managers can obtain through the use of regional information systems. Practical examples will be given by research managers using the FRIS portal in the field of research reporting, analytics, and funding opportunities.

Data on some CERIF entities – such as funded projects, for instance by the EU, or patents – is most fruitfully analysed at a regional or a national level, hence the value of these portals. In fact, FRIS is just an example of an ever-growing number of national and regional research information systems that countries across Europe are using to gather business intelligence on their research activity. These national and regional CRISs are usually listed in the euroCRIS Directory of Research Information Systems or DRIS. As part of its support for the research information management community worldwide, euroCRIS promotes communication and knowledge exchange across projects for creating national or regional portals and will do so again in its forthcoming CRIS2022 conference.