The Integrated Research and Innovation Services (IRIS) Network, established in July 2022, is a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing international and multidisciplinary research within the Alliance members and with other Alliances.
It comprises research support staff from various offices at each partner university, including technology transfer officers, human resources managers, and research communication officers, among others. IRIS's main objectives are to support the R&I Alliance’s sustainability and to strengthen the competences of professionals in research support. It provides a range of joint R&I services for the Alliance and its members, acting as a single point of contact for R&I issues related to the Unite! Alliance and promoting collaborative research across its members.
IRIS provides a list of Joint R&I Services, according to three target groups: the Unite! Alliance itself, Unite! researchers, and Unite! research managers and administrators (RMAs):
1. The Unite! Alliance: strategic advice on EU/national R&I policies, strategic EU proposals drafting.
2. Unite! Researchers: IT services for effective matchmaking and support to matchmaking events.
To this aim a map of competences to help researchers and companies in their research and innovation activity has been created. It is an interface providing direct access to our partner institutions' website, and more specifically the relevant pages dedicated to research activity and results. Thanks to this map, researchers, and also companies, can easily get an overview of research activities, capacities and expertise of each Unite! partner.
Moreover a Notice board to promote collaboration and ease matchmaking between Unite! researchers. The aim is to increase the opportunities to participate to EU calls with researchers from the Unite! universities.
3. Unite! RMAs: networking opportunities among RMAs and training courses for the IRIS R&I support staff.
IRIS is part of the broader Unite! Alliance activities. In fact, the network aims to boost the transformation of research and innovation in Unite! universities and to become an interface with the EU for the design and deployment of future EU funding grants.