Content originally published on data180.com. Learn more about Interfolio’s acquisition of Data180 here.

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A closer partnership between academic researchers and IT teams is becoming integral to the success of academic research.

Researchers hold a pivotal role at universities, as the impact of their efforts are indispensable. The advancements in technology, health, and all fields of research that have come from research have changed the world and will continue to do so. As technology evolves and the needs of research environments grow, the importance of IT teams and researchers working closer together becomes a greater necessity.

In an article for EdTech Magazine, Michele Norin, chief information officer at University of Arizona, explains how “IT is the backbone for research.”

The importance of a close partnership between IT and research is true for all academic disciplines, and  is especially true for computing-related research. Many universities realize this and therefore provide their researchers with high-performance computing environments and an IT support team to operate / maintain them.

These high-performance environments aggregate computing power in order to increase computing performance to a level that would not be possible with a single computer. The fields that benefit the most from these environments are those that require a lot of computing power to aid their research — like science and engineering.

High-performance environments are a boon to research, but to prosper, a close partnership between those conducting the research and the IT teams is necessary.

To ensure partnerships between IT and researchers prosper, Norin says that university officials should go to where the researchers work – this will not only give the university a better understanding of their researcher’s research, but also their challenges when it comes to technology as well.

For the full story, go to: http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2015/02/central-it

 

Content originally published on data180.com. Learn more about Interfolio’s acquisition of Data180 here.