Priorities for 2017-2018

In 2017-18, the Forum will build on the strategic areas identified in 2016. These are:

1. Strengthening the infrastructure to support future research

2. Widening the scope of partnerships with other fields of research

3. Opening up heritage science research so that more people engage with and contribute to the research agenda

Over the forthcoming year, the Forum will:

  1. Lead a refresh of the National Heritage Science Strategy on behalf of the sector. NHSF will use the ‘Filling the Gaps’ research and will work with the sector to both identify future gaps in research and to align the Strategy to wider national initiatives so that we can demonstrate more clearly the impact that heritage science has on society.
     
  2. Strengthen relationships with key sector bodies such as the Research Councils and emerging UK Research and Innovation, and work in partnership with other organisations in the sector towards a positive outcome for heritage science post-Brexit.
     
  3. Build stronger links with industry to benefit heritage science research and innovation. NHSF will bring together industry, heritage and academic partners to identify where collaboration has enhanced the impact of heritage science research, how greater value can be achieved by working together, and what mechanisms are needed to facilitate a growth in collaborative working.
     
  4. Continue to support open access to heritage science research by promoting the Forum’s Gold Open Access publication fund more widely and by developing the partnership with Wikimedia UK so that more people have the skills and knowledge to play an active role in improving access to heritage science via Wikimedia platforms. It will investigate the challenges surrounding opening up access to heritage science data, and the role that NHSF could play in improving access to, and re-use of, heritage science data.
     
  5. Scope the research needed to explore the barriers to becoming a heritage science researcher and better understand the career paths of heritage scientists as a first step towards strengthening future infrastructure for heritage science research.  

Read the 2017-18 prospectus