The Informatics Collaborative Network @ Universrity of Birmingham
The Informatics CRN
In its 2003 Research Strategy, the University of Birmingham identified nine strategic research themes as major foci for the development of its research. To facilitate interdisciplinary activity around the themes, the University invested in the development of Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs); the Informatics CRN was established as a mechanism to facilitate ICT-based interdisciplinary research across campus. The Informatics CRN run for 5 years, until 2008.
The aims of the Informatics CRN were to:
- increase the visibility of research undertaken by the University of Birmingham
- promote and foster inter-disciplinary research and
- provide a clear and informative starting point for external enquiries about Informatics research in the University.
- facilitate inter-disciplinary Continuing Professional Development
The Informatics Collaborative Research Network (CRN), based in the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, initiated, promoted and maintained inter-disciplinary research across campus and encouraged collaboration on research projects across a range of academic disciplines, with a common interest in the field of informatics. The scope of 'informatics' as an enabling technology is diverse with a variety of applications, to name but a few: e-science, bioinformatics, analysis of complex systems, modelling software, and high throughput processing. The CRN assistsed the University in bringing together the expertise and skills which allow the development of new research activity. The Informatics CRN involved virtually every School across campus, spanning the sciences, engineering, medicine and humanities. During its life, it set up several proactive and responsive initiatives to increase awareness and create opportunities and an environment where researchers from other disciplines could come together to explore collaborative research. The primary focus of the research activities of the Informatics CRN were on the following themes:
- modelling and analysis of complex systems, including systems that themselves process information
- knowledge bases, data analytics and visualisation
- collaborative research technologies and infrastructures
- High Performance Computing
The Informatics CRN used to have its own www site at: www.informatics.bham.ac.uk. It has since been removed. A number of other sites make references to it, e.g. here
