Application of the DIRECT framework across multi-disciplinary teams

The School of Medicine (SMED) at the University of Dundee employs digital Research Technical Professionals (dRTPs) across a wide range of roles, career stages, management structures, and research activities. This diversity, combined with the specialised and often unique nature of individual roles, can make it difficult for dRTPs to identify opportunities for collaboration with colleagues or to understand potential pathways for career progression.

This project aims to address these challenges by implementing and evaluating the Digital Research Competencies (DIRECT) framework as a tool for identifying skill overlap, upskilling opportunities, and skill-based career progression among dRTP staff within SMED. To ensure trust and openness in participation, confidentiality will be maintained through semi-redacted capability mapping.

By engaging with a broad range of dRTPs, the project seeks to highlight shared skills and resources within the local dRTP community. This will provide the foundation for a more interconnected and collaborative network, enabling dRTPs to better understand their own skill sets, recognise expertise available within their local network, and identify potential progression opportunities.