By Dr Fiona Armstrong
Universities are facing increasing challenges in managing international research risks. Our new project brings together practitioners who are working in trusted research and secure innovation at Scottish universities to share expertise and contribute to the development of new resources.
Funding for shared services
In 2025, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) offered funding for universities to develop sustainable models for the implementation of shared services around research and innovation.
The SFC awarded funding to five projects in the Shared Services Collaboration Fund, including TReSI Network.
The TReSI Network funding was awarded to Heriot-Watt University, where the project team is based, but it’s a sector-wide initiative open to all Scottish universities.
The idea originally came from the Practitioner Network that forms part of the Universities Scotland Research and Innovation Directors Group. This network meets on a regular basis to discuss approaches, good practice and risk mitigations for international research partnerships.
The benefits of shared expertise
TReSI brings practitioners working in trusted research and secure innovation together to share expertise.
As well as contributing to the development of training materials and tools for the wider community that the project is developing, the project will bring immediate benefits to all practitioners who get involved.
By sharing experiences, good practice and approaches to risk with colleagues from around Scotland, we will start to build capability and knowledge that will improve support for our all our research partnerships.
Why this work matters
University staff need to manage the risks of international research partnerships while meeting government and funder requirements to ensure collaborations are secure and trusted. This work can be complex and time-consuming, particularly for smaller institutions with limited support.
Bridging the guidance gap
There are useful online resources currently available, developed by the UK Government on the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) website. These resources include videos and guides.
However, there is a still a need for more detailed guidance and frameworks tailored to specific situations, particularly for high risk and high technology areas.
Building tools collaboratively
TReSI draws on work that was already going on in the well-connected Scottish sector.
We are going to use an agile project methodology, bringing relevant colleagues together for focused discussions around different high priority topics.
From these sessions, we will develop shared training materials to support our researchers at each stage of their project. This could be when they are applying for funding, when they are starting their research project or when they are recruiting new partners to an existing project. At each stage, there are different risks that the researchers need to consider.
How to get involved
Over the next year, we will promote various opportunities for colleagues to share their experiences on specific topics related to trusted research and secure innovation. These will be promoted through our existing contacts, published on the TReSI Network website and posted on our LinkedIn page.
If you’ve been involved in a particularly tricky project, if you have good practice to share or if you have any questions, join us at our workshops to channel those insights and contributions back to the project.
We will also host training sessions and online discussions that all those involved in trusted research and secure innovation at Scottish universities are welcome to join.
Our project website will be regularly updated with project news. Updates will include the questions that we are considering and topics that are emerging as the project progresses.
There may be issues that you think you are facing alone but this project will give you the opportunity to meet with other practitioners dealing with similar challenges, discuss potential approaches and share solutions.
Connections beyond Scotland’s higher education sector
TReSI will also maintain links with key external organisations in the UK research security sector. We will link with funders like UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) and with organisations doing similar work, including HERSA (the Higher Education Research Security Association).
The project is already attracting international interest, given that trusted research is an important topic for universities all over the world.
Many other countries are experiencing the gap between high-level funder requirements and working practice. We think our approach is one way to bridge those funder requirements, building good practice and capability on the ground.
This project is a unique way for Scottish universities to come together, but it’s also an opportunity to share our approach with others who are trying to navigate the choppy waters of international collaboration.
Useful TReSI links
Useful external links
Scottish Funding Council Shared Services Collaboration Fund
National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)