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"Code-based research provides real commercial opportunities, but getting researchers aware of and actively supporting the opportunity is really hard. Finding some good use cases and working with those researchers soon got the word out. Researchers quickly realised that there were not only commercialisation opportunities but that this also unlocked new funding opportunities."
The best way to advocate and engage with researchers is to find good local use cases.
It is tempting to think the computing department will provide the best code-based opportunities. While computer departments have good coding skills, they don't always have the best examples that will drive impact. Get researchers to start to try and share their code and get feedback from users; even if it is in the early stages of development, the feedback will build rapport and help direct the research opportunities.
Making researchers aware of the benefits of sharing code is best done when they can connect with new opportunities. Whether it is collaborations that unlock funding opportunities, commercialisation opportunities or being part of a larger research initiative. We coordinate and share any opportunities that can benefit from code sharing and make these available for organisational users.
Using platforms like Shaipup creates a connect first layer. Researchers don't need to build complex apps or web-based user interfaces to engage with potential users. Even blue sky research can benefit from user access and provides researchers with potential support that can be used for future research, including justified funding applications.