Changing academic policy:

a journey from deep frustration

to morbid fascination

Simon Hettrick

8 September 2023 - RSECon22 Training Event, Swansea -  @sjh5000     ORCID: 0000-0002-6809-5195

Where did we start with the SSI?

Laser physics

+

Patent law

Computational physics

+

Software

Make software policy...

you know... better

Where do you learn this stuff?

Changing policy at the funder level

What's not been helpful

Strategic objectives on the website/reports are not that helpful

UKRI Strategy 2022–2027

What's been helpful

https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/work-for-us/join-an-advisory-committee-panel-or-network/science-engineering-and-technology-board-and-strategic-advisory-teams-vacancies/

So how much software is in research?

Use software

Fundamental to results

69%

92%

n=417

Changing policy at the university level

- Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975

Dean ex Machina

University politics are brutal precisely because the stakes are so small

Some advice

Build your network

Prepare for the slow... and the fast

Don't expect anyone to have done their homework

- Spaced, 1999

Maintain your enthusiasm

Thank you!

@sjh5000

ORCID: 0000-0002-6809-5195, EPSRC Grant no: EP/S021779/1

Licence

 © Simon Hettrick

Unless stated otherwise on following slide, these slides are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Slides

https://bit.ly/policy_rsecon23

Images

  • Committee: CC Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic

  • Abandoned mansion: CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

  • Phone: CC Attribution 2.0 Generic: Images Money
  • Tortoise and hare: CC Attribution 2.0 Generic: TheTurducken

Changing academic policy

By Simon Hettrick

Changing academic policy

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