JISC

JISC makes significant investments in support of the innovative use of ICT across all UK HE Institutions and FE Colleges thus benefiting the whole sector. This is underpinned by the overall JISC strategy.

JISC innovation programmes result in a world-class infrastructure and resources that integrate teaching, learning, and research through:  

• Enhanced capacity, knowledge and skills to enable positive and informed change in the sector (through piloting new technologies and approaches);
• Guidance to the sector on ‘best practice’ models for using technology that can be used at departmental, institutional, regional or national levels;
• Strategic leadership to the sector and other bodies in specialist areas and to influence national and international agendas;
• Knowledge and experience as a basis for future funding decisions for the JISC;
• New or enhanced services, infrastructure, standards,  applications and content for the benefit of research, teaching and elarning that may be used at departmental, institutional, regional or national levels.

The innovation work is organised into programmes which consist of a number of projects funded by JISC and managed by the Innovation Group within the JISC Executive. Projects are managed and run within HE Institutions, FE Colleges and related education and research organisations, as well as in partnership with other sectors. 

Each programme will result in a range of outputs: content, software, technology, models, reports, services, and learning; which are of benefit to a project’s host institution(s) and are synthesised and disseminated via the programme to benefit the wider education and research community. Each project involves UK institutions, and often other partners,  that learn from the development and share their learning with the JISC community. 

Since 2000,JISC has funded over 1,000 Innovation projects across over 200 universities and colleges. In addition, more will have been involved through case studies. A very conservative estimate puts the total number of academic staff involved on these projects at 3,200. Further to this, around 300 staff are employed by JISC Services and Service Providers. These new capabilities continue to be used within organisations to exploit other business and funding opportunities well beyond the original JISC projects. In this way JISC is able to promote efficiency and effectiveness through both direct services and a widespread strengthening of the sector’s capacities.(read more about JISC value and impact)