research | STEP overview

Introduction to STEP

DCU’s research and innovation matrix is shown below. Building on the core of academic excellence, four research and enterprise hubs will develop research that will have impact on important priority areas for the economy and society. These activities will be reinforced by additional expertise in the three cross-cutting platforms.

STEP Infrastructure Network

The STEP Infrastructure Network has been set up to manage key research equipment and facilities in DCU with the ultimate goal of sustaining well-maintained and calibrated equipment to ensure research outputs are of the highest verifiable standards.

This will be achieved through the introduction of user-friendly systems to control access to high value, high utilisation instruments/facilities, provision of structured access policies, implementation of an equipment quality system and the availability of a highly trained technical support team.

The aim is to increase the self-sustainability of these key instruments, facilities and technical support by expanding the income generation capacity via implementation an access charging policy which will be linked to dedicated budget lines for access and technical support in appropriate grant applications, along with intensive hands-on training courses targeting industry, and expanding contract research activities.

STEP Infrastructure Network – key activities

• Develop sustainability of key research facilities and equipment
• Assist with equipment installations
• Develop a searchable Research Infrastructure Database
• Provide structured access programme for use of research infrastructure
• Promote key research facilities and equipment capabilities to potential external clients and research partners
• Ensure prioritised research facilities are maintained to required standards
• Assist with grant proposal budgets to ensure appropriate costs are included for infrastructure access and technical support
• Integrate new and existing equipment into function based suites
• Manage lab space, office space and instrumentation for new and active projects
• Manage the Equipment Maintenance Fund call and distribution of awards

For further information please contact us.

STEP Research Administration Unit

The STEP Research Administration Unit is a new unit that aims to implement operational excellence in the way DCU runs the administrative management of externally funded research.

The service provided by the STEP Administration Unit is designed to alleviate the administrative burden of academic staff involved in externally funded research projects, and to ensure effective financial and administrative project management, in parallel with efficient and streamlined operational support. The unit also provides administrative support to RIS approved Research Centres.

The unit commenced operations in September 2014 and is in the process of acquiring its full staff complement. Hence the services will be rolled out in stages.  When the unit is fully operational, the services provided* will include:

Support for Individual PIs

• Administrative and financial management of research projects
• Assistance with recruitment of staff associated with research projects
• Assistance with reporting, researcher profile updates and KPI data management
• Events, outreach and communications support
• Dedicated support available for PI’s who are Coordinators or Partners of EU projects including project management, administration and financial support, meeting organization, track and reporting of deliverables etc.

Support for RIS approved Research Centres

• Management support for Centre Director
• Centre operations support
• Centre events, outreach and communications support
• Administration support for centre members
• Assistance with staffing issues associated to research projects
• Procurement of Research materials and equipment
• Administrative and Financial management of research projects
• Assistance with reporting, researcher profile updates and KPI data management

*Note not all services are provided free of charge.  Dedicated support is available to a Project(s) or PI(s), but the dedicated service will be largely self-financing via direct funding e.g. coordinator administration budgets in H2020 projects, or specific budget lines in approved project proposals or from overheads recouped from research projects.

Services explained:

• Management support for centre director - Includes and in addition to subsequent listings below, Management meetings, Management reporting (centre applications/equipment maintenance etc.), financial analysis and planning, credit card administration, staffing projections, travel support, support for centre meetings and events.

• Centre operations support - Front of house contact point, phone/email queries, post, couriers, deliveries, centre internal communications, staff listings, information circulation, website and contact details updates etc.

• Centre events, outreach and communications support - end to end support, planning, preparation and budgeting for Centre events, Project and Centre knowledge and results dissemination,  Centre website maintenance and updates, Centre internal and external communications, Student Exchanges, Summer Interns, Planning, communication and implementation of workshops, seminar series, conferences and symposia. Site visit support.

• Administrative support for centre members - Front of house point of contact point for Centre and individual PI’s and research teams, general internal and external queries, Travel support, taxis’s, core expenses,  room bookings, catering bookings, post, couriers, deliveries,  inter-departmental support, etc.

• Assistance with staffing  issues associated to research projects - HR liaison for all aspects of research staff hire – job descriptions/hosting agreements, staff request forms, budget analysis, payroll setup, PG student support – induction and procedural training etc. Dedicated HR presence in STEP unit.

• Procurement of Research materials and equipment - Purchase Order processing, delivery monitoring, supplier queries, invoice processing, new supplier set-up, travel support, core expense process support, tender administration, ensuring adherence to funding agency and DCU procurement regulations, subcontracting and service agreements

• Administrative and financial management of research projects - All financial queries, pre-submission budget checks, EU portal updates, new subcost setup, procurement, internal transfers, budget checking and monitoring, liaison with DCU Finance, liaison with funding agencies and partner institutions, knowledge and expertise relating to all major funding agency regulations, monthly internal reporting, adhoc reporting requirements, budget spend projections, budget management advice and planning, spend compliance issues.

• Assistance with reporting, researcher profile updates and KPI data management - Internal monthly “snapshot” reporting on subcost codes, formal external funding agency reporting preparation and submission, centralized compilation and maintenance of data metrics, liaison re all reporting enquiries for STEP supported subcost codes.

• Dedicated support for PI’s who are Coordinators or Partners on EU projects including project management, admin and financial support - STEP maintains a dedicated research project team with expertise in requirements of all major funding agencies, including EU coordinator support for comprehensive project management including project management and coordination reporting (technical and financial), communications, meeting planning (from kick-off to final meeting), including all key required project functionality of procurement, financial reporting’s, timesheet maintenance, staffing, deliverables, events, dissemination etc. Dedicated support is available to a Project(s) or PI(s),  the dedicated service will be largely self-financing via direct funding e.g. coordinator administration budgets in H2020 projects, or specific budget lines in approved project proposals or from overheads recouped from research projects

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.