Consorzio Interuniversitario

Improving Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions:

a process management experience in Italian Universities

www.u-gov.eu

Core Activities:

• Supercomputing services

for scientific research

• IT services for the Italian

Ministry of university and

research

• IT services for universities

University ConsortiumNo-ProfitFounded in 1969

39 Members:• 36 Universities• 2 Research institutes• Italian Ministry of

University and Research

Employees: 360 Owned company: Kion (.. and others)

CINECA for Higher Education

CINECA Solutions and Services for the University Administration

Department Organization

Head of DepartmentProduct Manager U‑GOV

Research & Developem

entExternal Relations

HRArea

ResearchArea

Product Development

Customer Services

• Help-desk

• Consulting

• Education

Accounting

Area

Planning &

Controlling

AreaProduct Development

Customer Services

• Help-desk

• Consulting

• Education

Product Development

Customer Services

• Help-desk

• Consulting

• Education

Product Development

Customer Services

• Help-desk

• Consulting

• Education

KION

Learning &Students Management Area

Product Development

Customer Services

• Help-desk• Consulting• Education

AccountManagement

Italian Higher Education context

Studentsand learning

Research Accounting HRPlanning &Controlling

StudentsDatabase

CoursesDatabase

Research fundsDelivery

ProfessorsDatabase

Ministry of University and Research

Single University

U-GOV Solution Map

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Planning

Accounting

Research

Learning

Human Resources

Student Services (integration)

Controlling

Payroll (integrat.)

Re-engeneering

Beta Test Deploy

Project Management

U-GOV Roadmap 2006-2010Developme

ntBeta Test Deploy

Development

Beta Test Deploy

Development

Beta Test Deploy

Development

Beta Test Deploy

Development

Beta Test Deploy

Development

Beta Test Deploy

Development

Beta Test Deploy

Re-engeneering

Beta Test Deploy

www.u-gov.eu

Number of Users

Applications

•HR management (since 1990)•Accounting management (since 1997)

•Student management (since 1999, Kion)

•Research management (since 2005)

•Planning & Controlling (since 2002)

At least one CINECA’s solution

Total Italian Universities (public, private, telematic)

University Users

67 (69%)44 (45%)68 (70%)20 (21%)20 (21%)

83 (86%)

97

U-GOV Technological Architecture

www.u-gov.eu

CINECA’s vision on research processes

• Project management internally and externally funded (Gov, EU, Industry): administering the grant, complying with regulations, reporting to funders.

• Research results repository management (publications, patents, conference speeches, ..)

• Research results assessment (publication, projects, research groups)

• Research assets management (research teams and groups, research units, laboratories, equipments, facilities, skills..)

• Dissemination and Technology transfer• Integration with national and istitutional repositories/systems

• Projects

• Results

• Assessment

• Assets

• Dissemination

Research Management Processes

Call for Proposal

Proposal Assessment

Project Management

Financial/ScientificReporting

Final Results (Output)Management

Resources, Tools, Labs

Results Assessment

Dissemination and Exploitation

www.u-gov.eu

Research Project Management

• Project Configuration– Project type– Cost prospect model– Work package model

• Project informations– Total budget and annual budget– Work Packages definitions– People and resources

• Timesheet submitting by researchers• Business Intelligence facilities for Indirect Costs Allocation• Reporting for funders• Internal reporting about work in progress and results

www.u-gov.eu

Publication Repository IT issues

• No duplications: automatic recognition of publication already submitted

• Each publication has a unique data owner • Attachments to publications (e.g. full text)• Integration with the University’s human resource

database: infos about authors• Integration with national and istitutional IT

systems• Import and export using standards like MODS,

BibTex, ISI, OAI, Endnote, Pubmed • Gateways for systems interoperability and data

export (e.g. OAI-PMH pubblication metadata harvest, other web services)

www.u-gov.eu

Results Repository goals

• It gathers all the research results produced by an author that works for the University

• publications, patents, products, conferences, seminars

• It shows statistics about publications, researchers, research teams, research units, areas

• It is the start point for Assessment process• It exports data to:

• University Libraries• University Portal• National/institutional systems and websites

Assessment Process

Step 1Session

configuration

Step 2Assessment

session

Definition of publications and evaluators

Definition of session rules

Session opening

Peer to peerAssessment activities

Session endind

Assessments publication

Reporting

Committee

Referee/Peer

Author

Research Office

www.u-gov.eu

Assessment session

• Session opening• Referees can preview the assigned publications • Blind review• Automatic assessments

• Session management• Referees express their opinion about pubblications• Referees report errors/issues, view progress of requests.• President and Research Office manage session work in

progress and warnings (open/in progress/accepted/rejected)

• Reporting• Session analysis• Final results sorted by categories, authors, groups and

teams, areas.

www.u-gov.eu

Research Assets

• Research groups and teams (skills, areas, activities, ..)

• Additional information about grants• Annual research planning• Scientific partnership• Labs, equipments, facilities.• Cultural and technological transfer

Harmonization of Higher Education Area

(Bologna Process)

RS3G (Rome Student Systems and Standards Group) is group of software implementers and stakeholders in the European Higher Education domain focused to the definition and adoption of standards for the exchange of student data.

Metadata for Learning Opportunity

and

European Learner Mobility

www.u-gov.eu

European collaboration opportunities

• EUNIS workshop on research management system (october 2009 host CINECA)

• U-GOV user groups and focus groups as a starting point to European best practice sharing

• CORDIS data exchange automation ?• EUROPEANA repository• EuroCRIS• Others

www.u-gov.eu

Thank you for your attention

Nicola BertazzoniExternal Relations Manager

Fabrizio LuglioResearch Systems and Services

Division Manager

Questions?