1. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research e-Science and Infrastructure in the Arts and Humanities e-Science Forum 29 April 2010

2. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research AHRC ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Programme includes the creative and performing arts –practice-led research £3.8m for 5 years 2003-8 Aims: –build national capacity in the use of ICT for A&H research. –advise the AHRC on matters of ICT strategy...

3. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Building capacity: ICT Methods Network: £1m for 3 years from April 2005 –use of advanced ICT methods Projects and methods database (with support from JISC) –part of a unified on-line resource: ICTGuides ICT Strategy Projects (£1m) –knowledge-gathering: needs, uses, scoping surveys –resource-development AHRC-EPSRC-JISC Arts and Humanities e-Science Initiative

4. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Building capacity = strong focus on infrastructure support services and resource development to complement existing provision –AHRC Research Panels –Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) –Resource Discovery Network (RDN: now Intute) focus also on methods and technology development –and on advanced users

5. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Strongest system of support for e-arts and humanities in the world until closure of AHDS (end March 2008) end of ICT Programme (end December 2008) AHRC no longer invests in infrastructure –position of JISC –ICT Programme’s advisory role…

6. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Context of Arts and Humanties e-Science Initiative no earmarked e-Science money led by the AHRC ICT Programme largest financial contribution from JISC substantial EPSRC contribution as well

7. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research e-Science and the humanities Dispersed and heterogenous nature of typical humanities data resource –the typical AHRC-funded resource Injection of new technologies –collaborations between computer scientists and arts and humanities researchers Shifting definition of e-Science –from grid technologies to advanced ICT more broadly –grid-enabling in the AHRB delivery plan o compare French Adonis project) –standalone nature of much humanities research

8. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research AHRC- EPSRC -JISC Arts and Humanities e-Science Initiative Scoping survey (Sheila Anderson) JISC A&H e-Science Support Centre (King’s: 2006-10) –based in AHDS –project facilitation and support –knowledge base AHRC A&H e-Science Research Workshops EPSRC e-Science demonstrators …

9. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research AHRC- EPSRC -JISC Arts and Humanities e-Science Initiative … six 4-year AHRC e-Science postgraduate studentships. AHRC-JISC e-Science research projects (£2m ) –responsive mode: wide range of subjects, methods and technologies –varying emphasis on development and research findings

10. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Sustainability of development projects Plan A: AHDS as platform Plan B: virtual support –arts-humanities.net at King’s Centre for e-Research –knowledge base + community support Plan C? –particular problems of responsive-mode

11. ICT in Arts and Humanities Research Atkins report on the arts & humanities –“excellent beginnings” –“encourage and support” –“corpus computing” (Digging into Data) need for continuing e-Science programme need for infrastructure of support services and platforms –avoid re-inventions of wheels –enhance uptake of development projects –knowledge base –partnerships