Are you passionate about the future of research technology and the role of technicians within the UK RAS (Robotics and Autonomous Systems) community? We want to hear from you!

As part of the UK RAS STEPS project, we’re excited to launch a call for ideas to develop a Roving Technician Role that will play a pivotal role in advancing the technician community across our network of universities. This position will be partially or fully funded depending on availability and current commitments for up to 3 months initially, with the key outcome being to deliver a valuable framework or key benefit to the community and identify a topic for a subsequent call within the project.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking your ideas, expertise, and creative thinking on how the Roving Technician Role could function and what value it would deliver to our community. We want to understand how this role could help meet the evolving needs of technicians working in the cutting-edge fields of robotics and autonomous systems.

Here’s what we’d love you to address in your submission:

Key tasks and responsibilities: What would the Roving Technician be doing? How can they add value to both individual institutions and the UK RAS community as a whole?

Desired outcomes and impact: What benefits would this role bring to technicians? How would it support the development of skills, equipment, and cross-institutional collaboration?

Specific ideas for implementation: We are particularly interested in ideas related to creating a library/repository of equipment and skills across all UK RAS universities, but feel free to explore any aspect you think is important.

How to Submit

Pitch your idea to us in any way you like – whether it’s a Dragon’s Den-style pitch or a simple proposal. You could present a 2-3 slide deck, video or submit a more detailed document that outlines:

• Why this role is important.
• The roles and responsibilities it should have.
• An ideation of what it could look like day-to-day.
• A typical working week for this role.

You could pitch an idea for this role on behalf of someone else or propose yourself for the role.

We will support the selected individual by working with their line manager and institution to facilitate the role as a secondment, ensuring that they have the time and flexibility to contribute fully to this exciting opportunity.

Timeline: 

Submit your proposals by 31st January 2025. Successful proposals will be selected to move forward, with one candidate being appointed to take on the Roving Technician role.

This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the UK RAS technician community and help shape the future of robotics research. We’re excited to hear your ideas and to see how you envision this role making a difference.

For any questions or further information, please contact us at info@ukras-steps.org.