In development — details may change. The pilot will start by March 2027 at the latest, launched through a science support programme call.
The specialist user support pilot offers short, focused blocks of hands-on help from ukSRC specialists, to get you past the technical hurdles between your data and your science.
What we will offer
| What we will offer | What it isn’t | |
|---|---|---|
| The help | Advice and hands-on work alongside you — for example getting a pipeline running or speeding up code | A finished product delivered for you |
| Time | Fixed blocks of roughly one to four weeks | Open-ended or embedded support |
| Expertise | Areas listed with each call. Examples could include low-frequency pipelines, VLBI, transients and GPU porting | Any skill on request |
| Who | Projects on the science support programme or using ukSRC software | Fast-track projects (compute only) |
The kind of help available includes:
- getting a pipeline running on your data;
- analysing data, or speeding up code (e.g. porting to GPUs);
- containerising a workflow so others can reuse it.
How it will work
- Expertise — we publish the expertise on offer with each quarterly science support programme call.
- You ask — tick a box on your application and say what you need.
- We match — we check it’s feasible, agree the scope and pair you with a specialist.
- Focused block — a specialist works with you for a fixed block of time during the quarter.
- You tell us — short feedback that shapes the next call.
What we ask of you
- A specific request with a realistic timescale.
- Be available during your block, then complete a 10-minute questionnaire.
- Acknowledge or include the specialist on resulting papers.
Timeline
- Before the call — we finalise the pilot: process, application questions and our skills map.
- Call opens — areas on offer are published alongside a science support programme call.
- Next quarter — first blocks run, after onboarding.
- After round one — we review and adjust, using feedback from projects and specialists.
Help us shape it
Which expertise would you use most? Let us know at uksrc-support@manchester.ac.uk.