Usher Institute Information Services Committee Remit

Vision                                                                                   

The Usher Institute core business of research and teaching relies on the provision and use of suitable information services and resources. Through the Information Services Committee, the Usher Institute aims to understand and prioritise its own needs, relay these needs to College and University committees and groups that provide services and ultimately ensure that information services resources are fit for purpose and that the Usher Institute community is able to comply with and inform University wide information service policies.

While recognising the potential for shifting membership, we aim for the Committee membership to be composed of:

• An Academic representative of the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society;
• An Academic representative of the Centre for Global Health Research;
• An Academic representative of the Centre for Medical Informatics;
• An Academic representative of the Centre for Population Health Sciences;
• A representative of the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit;
• A representative of Teaching staff;
• A representative of core Professional Services staff;
• IS Research Data Services Facilitator.

The role of Chair/Co-Chair should be agreed to by the Committee itself, and with a length of tenure not exceeding 2 years. No member of the Committee will serve for more than 3 years.

A rotating member of the committee will be responsible for taking and circulating minutes and actions from each meeting.

The aim of the Usher Institute IS Committee is to ensure the best use of existing IS services for the benefit of the Institute.

The Committee will feed into the development of new or existing strategies, services, policies or processes relating to the use of IS services or facilities for Usher Institute staff and students, and represent the needs of the Institute and relay these to the relevant budget holders and service providers. The Committee will gather and maintain related information from business areas within the Institute, to be able to function as a point of contact for IS service needs, both current and emerging.  The Committee will provide advice and/or act in an advisory capacity for service utilisation to Usher investigators, sponsors and Institute management.

It will do this by bringing together Institute staff acting as representatives of their Centre or work area, to identify, discuss, advise on and prioritise issues and areas of support. The Committee will present proposals relating to IS issues to College and University Committees and the Usher Board, as needed.  Where implementation can be achieved within the Usher Institute that will be the responsibility of the Institute Director and Heads of Centre, with the option to delegate to members of this committee.

The Committee will meet as required to fulfil its remit, expected to be at least three times per year. The Committee may conduct some business through email correspondence or similar electronic means.

The Committee will report to the Usher Research Committee, Usher Executive, CMVM Research Computing Group and Digital Research Services Steering Group. The Usher Institute Committee Chair will serve as part of the CMVM Research Computing Group (approx. four meetings per year), one member of the committee (to be decided) will serve on the Digital Research Services Steering Group, and representatives will participate regularly in Centre senior staff meetings. They will also build close relationships with the wider Usher community.

"Services" in this context refers to any physical, digital or human provision related to Information Services, Research, Education or Professional Services roles.