Research licensing strategy group
Supporting the research portfolio and ensuring the licensing of research solutions will meet the strategic priorities of UK HE and Research, both now and in the future.
This group will play an essential role in ensuring negotiation and communication strategies reflect and respond to the diversity of the sector, align with and advance institutional and funder priorities and policy, and maintain collective strength - a necessity in negotiating with global vendors.
This includes:
- Consideration of equitable and collective licensing models
- Intellectual property management
- Data sharing and security
- Sustainability
- The achievement of open research
The group will facilitate debate and action within the sector to help implement solutions to challenges in licensing digital research solutions, fostering a vibrant and well-functioning research ecosystem. This includes providing and soliciting evidence and expertise to inform policy development.
In 2024/25 the group will play a core role in the sector’s upcoming negotiations with Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, and Sage, driving strategy to allow the sector to achieve collective efficiencies and support the achievement of open research.
Members
Membership of the group reflects diversity within the sector and recognises the importance of involving senior leaders from UK institutions to achieve affordable, sustainable, and innovative agreements.
- Professor Sue Hartley, University of Sheffield (Chair)
- Dr Paul Ayris, University College London
- Simon Bains, University of Aberdeen
- Adrian Ellison, University of West London
- Professor Matthew Grenby, University of Newcastle
- Professor Richard Reece, University of Kent
Professional bodies
- Rachel Bruce, UKRI
- Catherine Burns, University of St Andrews (AHUA)
- Dr Sophie Collet, University of Bristol (ARMA)
- Dr Mehwaesh Islam, UUK
- Liz Jolly, British Library
- David Prosser, RLUK
- Monique Ritchie, Brunel University London (CNAC)
- Ann Rossiter, SCONUL
Membership information
The combined membership of the group will be representative of all UK universities and the diversity of size, income, approaches, ambitions, strategies, students, researchers and staff etc. contained within those institutions. The membership should have wide geographical coverage.
Memberships of other Jisc groups will be taken into account when selecting institutions to reasonably avoid duplication of individuals and institutions. Exceptions to this approach include where chairs of the expert level groups should sit on the linked strategy group and members providing a link between expert level groups.
There will be 13 representative members as follows:
- Chair: VC or PVC-R
- Six members in PVC-R or similar roles
- Six members in library director and research support roles
There will be seven members from professional bodies as follows:
- Universities UK: one appointee
- RLUK: one appointee
- SCONUL: one appointee
- ARMA: one appointee
- BUFDG: one appointee
- AHUA: one appointee
- CNAC: one appointee
In addition there will be three observer members as follows:
- Funding bodies (eg Wellcome Trust, RLUK): one appointee
- British Library: one appointee
- GuildHE: one appointee
The combined membership of the group will be representative of all UK universities and the diversity of size, income, approaches, ambitions, strategies, students, researchers and staff etc. contained within those institutions. The membership should have wide geographical coverage.
Memberships of other Jisc groups will be taken into account when selecting institutions to reasonably avoid duplication of individuals and institutions. Exceptions to this approach include where chairs of the expert level groups should sit on the linked strategy group and members providing a link between expert level groups.
There will be 13 representative members as follows:
- Chair: VC or PVC-R
- Six members in PVC-R or similar roles
- Six members in library director and research support roles
There will be seven members from professional bodies as follows:
- Universities UK: one appointee
- RLUK: one appointee
- SCONUL: one appointee
- ARMA: one appointee
- BUFDG: one appointee
- AHUA: one appointee
- CNAC: one appointee
In addition there will be three observer members as follows:
- Funding bodies (eg Wellcome Trust, RLUK): one appointee
- British Library: one appointee
- GuildHE: one appointee
Terms of office
The term of office for representative members is three years with the possibility of an additional term of up to three years upon expiry of the first term.
Extensions for a longer period of time are permissible as an exception where a member brings particular expertise that could not reasonably be replaced, or to provide continuity to the group by contributing to group memory where there are significant changes in membership taking place.
Any additional term of office will be considered if the member wishes to extend their term and will be decided by the chair of the group and Jisc/the chair of the group, UUK and Jisc. Their decision would take into account whether the member has normally been able to attend and contribute to meetings and ensure that terms of office ended at different times to prevent a large change in membership at any one time.
Members from professional organisations and observer members do not have a formal term of office but these roles will be reviewed annually by Jisc and the chair to consider whether there is the right representation of organisations and roles.
The chair of the publisher negotiations expert group does not have a term of office but will be a member of the group by virtue of holding that role.
The term of office for representative members is three years with the possibility of an additional term of up to three years upon expiry of the first term.
Extensions for a longer period of time are permissible as an exception where a member brings particular expertise that could not reasonably be replaced, or to provide continuity to the group by contributing to group memory where there are significant changes in membership taking place.
Any additional term of office will be considered if the member wishes to extend their term and will be decided by the chair of the group and Jisc/the chair of the group, UUK and Jisc. Their decision would take into account whether the member has normally been able to attend and contribute to meetings and ensure that terms of office ended at different times to prevent a large change in membership at any one time.
Members from professional organisations and observer members do not have a formal term of office but these roles will be reviewed annually by Jisc and the chair to consider whether there is the right representation of organisations and roles.
The chair of the publisher negotiations expert group does not have a term of office but will be a member of the group by virtue of holding that role.
Meeting papers
Papers for meetings should be shared with the members one week prior to the relevant meeting.
The agenda will identify which papers are confidential to the group, which are confidential across the groups (ie will be available to the other strategic groups within Jisc) and which are confidential to the sector. If the content of the paper can be shared with the sector but the paper itself should not be shared then this will be specified on the agenda.
Subject to the paragraph above, members may share papers, or the information set out in these, within the sector where there is strategic benefit, for example to update and gain insight from their networks and to obtain the views of colleagues in different roles.
Where it is permitted to share a paper within the sector this must be done securely, for example within an institutions Microsoft Teams or similar system. Papers should not be shared using e-mail unless the paper is password protected and the password is shared by separate means (eg text, in person, phone call). Password protected papers can be provided if required.
Please advise colleagues who are being given sight of any papers that they must not share these further.
To support meeting preparations and sharing with colleagues in the sector, Jisc will aim to produce summaries of papers where the information can be condensed but still provide enough insight for a constructive response.
Papers for meetings should be shared with the members one week prior to the relevant meeting.
The agenda will identify which papers are confidential to the group, which are confidential across the groups (ie will be available to the other strategic groups within Jisc) and which are confidential to the sector. If the content of the paper can be shared with the sector but the paper itself should not be shared then this will be specified on the agenda.
Subject to the paragraph above, members may share papers, or the information set out in these, within the sector where there is strategic benefit, for example to update and gain insight from their networks and to obtain the views of colleagues in different roles.
Where it is permitted to share a paper within the sector this must be done securely, for example within an institutions Microsoft Teams or similar system. Papers should not be shared using e-mail unless the paper is password protected and the password is shared by separate means (eg text, in person, phone call). Password protected papers can be provided if required.
Please advise colleagues who are being given sight of any papers that they must not share these further.
To support meeting preparations and sharing with colleagues in the sector, Jisc will aim to produce summaries of papers where the information can be condensed but still provide enough insight for a constructive response.
Recruitment
When a vacancy for a chair or institution representative member arises this will be recruited by UUK and Jisc either by invitation or by initially seeking expressions of interest.
When a vacancy for a chair or institution representative member arises this will be recruited by UUK and Jisc either by invitation or by initially seeking expressions of interest.
Review and time period
The group will run while there is work appropriate to its remit to undertake or continue with.
Jisc and group members will reflect on the group's role and progress with the matters within its remit regularly (at least annually) in order to plan any changes.
The groups main tasks may be completed, no longer required or change significantly and in these scenarios the group would close. The groups remit may need to shift in order to reflect any changes in the landscape and the support required from Jisc as a result.
Where it is appropriate for the group to continue any required changes will be incorporated into the groups remit. During the life of the group the knowledge and skills required from its members to provide the required expertise may change. Should this happen some memberships would cease and any vacancies be identified and recruited.
The group will run while there is work appropriate to its remit to undertake or continue with.
Jisc and group members will reflect on the group's role and progress with the matters within its remit regularly (at least annually) in order to plan any changes.
The groups main tasks may be completed, no longer required or change significantly and in these scenarios the group would close. The groups remit may need to shift in order to reflect any changes in the landscape and the support required from Jisc as a result.
Where it is appropriate for the group to continue any required changes will be incorporated into the groups remit. During the life of the group the knowledge and skills required from its members to provide the required expertise may change. Should this happen some memberships would cease and any vacancies be identified and recruited.