It has been a long pandemic, and some bright spots are beginning to appear on the horizon. One of them is that we have a new professional joining our team, to work with Kerry Miller in the role of Research Data Support Officer – Simon Smith.

The University’s Digital Research Services programme makes it possible to fund this post for the Research Data Service – deemed an essential addition following a period of reduced resource, because of the need to increase outreach, training and awareness, and take-up of services in the light of the new Research Data Management Policy.

Simon has worked in Research Data Management since 2015, when he joined the Open Research Team at the University of Surrey. He has spent his time helping to develop a range of research data management (RDM) services, implementing two repositories, and learning to love data management planning. He is genuinely interested in issues around data licencing and sensitive/personal data. His teaching and research background is in philosophy, in the service of which he edited a scholarly journal. Now, however, he is slightly obsessed with James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Simon has been in post for nearly 2 weeks, and is keen to meet researchers and their supporters from all corners of the university – please send any and all invitations to come chat about RDM to data-support@ed.ac.uk! We look forward to gaining from Simon’s insights and experience.

Robin Rice & Simon Smith
Library & University Collections