DIRECT is the Digital Research Competencies Framework. It helps digital research professionals and teams identify, visualise, and develop competencies and skills to support careers, collaboration, and sustainable research.
DIRECT provides a shared language for digital research skills, enabling individuals to chart career pathways, managers to support staff development, and institutions to plan strategically. Our vision is a future where all digital researchers, regardless of discipline, role, or career stage, are empowered to recognise their expertise, address gaps, and contribute with confidence to world-class research.
DIRECT is built around the following principles:
- Community-led and open by default
- Inclusive of disciplines, roles, and career stages
- Engage with, listen to and benefit all parts of community
- Focused on real-world research practice, capturing the full range of skills used
- Designed to complement, not duplicate, existing frameworks
- Sustainable, transparent, and extensible over time
DIRECT aims to:
- Develop and maintain a competency framework for digital researchers that evolves with the rapidly changing research landscape.
- Provide role profiles that reflect the breadth and diversity of digital research careers.
- Map training and development opportunities to competencies to support targeted skills development.
- Deliver an open-source web tool to support self-assessment, reflection, and career development.
- Align with national and international initiatives to ensure interoperability, relevance, and sustainability.