University of Brighton leads national project to boost digital skills proficiency in arts and humanities

The DISKAH project, which stands for "Digital Skills in Arts and Humanities," aims to develop a structured fellowship program to unlock the potential of arts and humanities research which rely heavily on digital analysis of data. The project unites an interdisciplinary team of experts from various fields, including Arts and Humanities, Computer Science, and Information Studies for digital skills training.

This interdisciplinary collaboration will help to preserve key references in history, literature, art, or culture and other such fields which have hitherto existed in traditional and analogue forms. 

Starting in November 2024, the project will, over the next three years, develop a structured fellowship training program tailored to Arts and Humanities researchers. The program will provide participants with the skills and knowledge required to effectively use digital research infrastructures (DRI), fostering transformative innovation in the field.

Led by researchers from the University of Brighton, the project aims to build capacity amongst the fellows and the wider research community by facilitating networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities. This will ensure the outcomes of the programme are shared across various disciplines.

Dr Karina Rodriguez Echavarria, DISKAH Project Lead from the University of Brighton’s School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering said: "We are thrilled to launch this exciting project, recognising the urgent need to invest in researchers to develop their digital skills and expertise. With DISKAH, we aim to create a community of scholars who are equipped to harness the potential of digital research infrastructures and who are willing to lead in the development of their peers and students, through knowledge exchange and training."

In its first year, six fellows will each receive £6,500 in funding support for their research at the University of Brighton. 

With up to £599,886 in funding support from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), DISKAH will create a vibrant community of researchers who can collaborate, innovate, and advance computationally intensive arts and humanities research collectively. Described by the UKRI as “very timely”, the project is co-led by academics from University of the Arts London, University of Exeter, and Durham University and is supported by a team of national and international partners.

Professor Rusi Jaspal, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) at the University of Brighton, said: “We are grateful for the support of our funders and partners, who share our vision for upskilling the arts and humanities community. With their backing, we can bring this ambitious project to life and grow the numbers of UK-based researchers ready to use digital research infrastructure to produce world-leading research”

For more information about the DISKAH project, please visit the programme webpage.