Session 1.8 - Trusted Research and Safer Partnerships SIG
| Wednesday, June 17, 2026 |
| 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM |
Speaker
Mr Joe Timlin
Trusted Research Manager
Loughborough University
Modelling Institutional Approaches to Operationalising Trusted Research
Abstract
The ‘Complex Collaborations’ (2023) and ‘Stronger Cooperation, Safer Collaboration’ (2025) reports on operationalising research security guidelines in UK and European research organisations highlight the breadth of the challenge and complexity facing research managers on their journey towards research security ‘maturity’. Such challenges include access to resources, a multiplicity of voices, and divergent approaches at the organisational, regional, national and transnational level.
Anecdotally, research managers tasked with operationalising research security guidelines often ask ‘how’ to do this at their institution. Whilst resources such as the Trusted Research Evaluation Framework have tried to address ‘what does good look like’, nobody has yet produced a resource to document ‘how’ research managers in different types of organisations could approach this change management task. For example, in a centralised or decentralised structure, small or large institutions, specialist organisations, and in resource limited environments.
The objective of this session is to spotlight common approaches to operationalising research security to provide research managers with a series of models that can be applied to their organisation. The session is intended to provide learning and practical value through the presentation of case studies and provoke a discussion about best practice and commonality of approach across the sector.
Anecdotally, research managers tasked with operationalising research security guidelines often ask ‘how’ to do this at their institution. Whilst resources such as the Trusted Research Evaluation Framework have tried to address ‘what does good look like’, nobody has yet produced a resource to document ‘how’ research managers in different types of organisations could approach this change management task. For example, in a centralised or decentralised structure, small or large institutions, specialist organisations, and in resource limited environments.
The objective of this session is to spotlight common approaches to operationalising research security to provide research managers with a series of models that can be applied to their organisation. The session is intended to provide learning and practical value through the presentation of case studies and provoke a discussion about best practice and commonality of approach across the sector.
Biography
Joe Timlin:
Joe is currently Trusted Research Manager at Loughborough University where he is operationally responsible for due diligence and research security matters, including regulatory compliance. Joe has co-authored several reports on due diligence and research security, notably the ‘Complex Collaborations’ (2023) report on operationalising research security measures in the UK, and most recently, ‘Stronger Cooperation, Safer Collaborations’ (2025) on operationalising research security measures in the European context.
He is a Champion of the newly created ARMA Trusted Research and Safer Partnerships SIG and is a regular contributor to ARMA training and development events and other sector initiatives.
Mary Beth Kneafsey:
Dr. Kneafsey is Head of Research Governance, Policy and Integrity at the University of Glasgow, where she has worked for 25 years. Currently, she leads a portfolio covering Trusted Research/Export Control Compliance, Research Integrity and Misconduct, Research Policy, REF, and PGR strategy and policy. Despite the diversity of this portfolio, there is a thread of supporting good research practice that is integral to all of these areas. One of Glasgow’s core research principles is that how research is done is as important as what is done and the team puts this at the heart of what we do.
Rhiannon Sullivan:
As part of the Legal and Governance Team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Rhiannon is responsible for the legal and regulatory compliance framework.
She has been a risk, compliance and assurance specialist for over 10 years, predominantly within the charity sector and is passionate about helping organisations navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes with simplified and streamlined ways of working. Rhiannon looks forward to supporting members with their trusted research and safer partnership roles.
Dr Mary Beth Kneafsey
Head of Research Governance, Policy & Integrity
University of Glasgow
Co-Presenter: Modelling Institutional Approaches to Operationalising Trusted Research
