Trusted Research workshop 1: language and roles sprint – building clarity for trusted research

Name: Trusted Research workshop 1: language and roles sprint – building clarity for trusted research
Start: 2026-01-29T14:00:00
End: 2026-01-29T17:00:00
Location: techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD

2pm – 5pm 29 January 2026 London and online techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD

About the series

Trusted Research underpins the reputation, resilience, and global partnerships of the UK’s research system. Yet despite increasing attention from government and funders, many institutions continue to struggle with inconsistent guidance, unclear boundaries, and administrative burden.

This workshop series builds on techUK’s recent consultation, which surfaced a clear need for shared language, clearer responsibilities, and usable tools that reflect how research actually happens. These sessions will shape sector-led resources in the run-up to the Trusted Research & Secure Innovation Conference in 2026.

The workshops are open to practitioners, policy leads, research support teams, and techUK members supporting institutions on their trusted research journey.

Format

Each workshop will run as a half-day, in-person working session. Participants will collaborate in small groups, create shared artefacts, and contribute to outputs designed for sector use. Sessions will include both focused design sprints and group synthesis.

This session: language and roles sprint

Despite being widely used, “Trusted Research” still lacks a shared definition. The term is often conflated with, or disconnected from, export control, research ethics, TREs, and innovation governance. This session aims to reduce that fragmentation and develop a baseline for sector-wide communication and coordination.

Key aims:

Develop a plain-language working definition of Trusted Research
Map the scope: what sits inside, at the edge, or outside TR’s remit
Clarify roles and responsibilities across institutions and stakeholders
Draft a sector-wide FAQ to address common misunderstandings

Participants will help shape:

A “Rosetta stone” of related concepts (ethics, integrity, security, etc.)
A draft RACI model for institutional roles
A plain-language FAQ artefact for sector use

This is a practical session with outputs designed for immediate application.

Supporters

Prolinx are kindly supporting this series of workshops.

Next in the series

Austin Earl

Programme Manager, Education and EdTech, techUK

Education and EdTech Programme activities

techUK’s Education and EdTech programme seeks to address this challenges by bridging the gap between education, the tech industry, and policymakers. We ensure that education institutions can effectively adopt technology that enhances learning, streamlines operations, and supports skills development. Visit the programme page here