Team Infrastructure Roles in open research culture

Presentation by Esther, Arielle, and Tom for the OpenFest online Symposium: New Perspectives on Open Research (online, 7 September 2023).

The rise of large research teams addressing complex challenges and a focus on improving openness of research has necessitated the growth of professional team infrastructure roles (TIRs) who support research through specialised skills. TIRs play an important role in ensuring the success of a research project. Nevertheless, contributions by TIRs are neglected in the current research culture that rewards publication authorship and competition instead of collaboration on diverse research outputs and processes, even when it comes to open science. This talk will introduce case studies of TIR activities, propose system level changes to recognise TIR contributions and invite attendees to reimagine their vision for the future of research and the people that contribute to the process. Acknowledging the contributions of all research roles will help retain skill and expertise, and lead to collaborative research ecosystems that are well-positioned to address complex research challenges.