By Andy Blight

Let’s get the obvious question out of the first. What does UK RAS STEPS stand for? UK (United Kingdom) RAS (Robotics and Autonomous Systems) STEPS (Strategic Technical Platform – the extra S on the end makes it easier to say!)   

UK RAS STEPS is a £2milion project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that aims to upskill Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) who work in or with robotics and autonomous systems across the UK.  The University of Leeds is running the project with the following partners: The National Robotarium, University of Birmingham and Imperial College London.  I am a Co-Investigator on the UK RAS STEPS, and this is the first time that I have been involved in running a project like this.  

It started back in October 2023 when Rob Richardson asked me if I wanted to be a Co-Investigator on a robotics project for the research technician community.  I asked what was involved, thought about it for a bit and said yes.  I then supplied a short autobiography to Rob and after a few revisions, the application was put in. In November, we heard that the project was through to the interview stage and in December, we were told that the project was going to be funded and would start on the 1st of January 2024, 4 months earlier than originally planned!  We couldn’t tell anyone about this until the UKRI press release went out, which happened on 18th March 2024. 

Now it was time to get on with the real work. My time commitment is 10% full time equivalent, roughly 2 days a month.  In the first few months, I attended various set up meetings and planned how to deal with my work package (delivering placements and secondments).   

UK RAS STEPS placements and secondments are where a member of technical staff applies to go to another university for any period, from a couple of days up to a month or more, work with teams on a variety of projects so that they can learn from other Research Technical Professionals.  The travel and subsistence are paid for by UK RAS STEPS so the only thing the RTP must do is get agreement from their line manager to go on the secondment.   

The website went live in August, and we held our kick-off event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds in September.  In the week leading up to the event there was a lot of activity, with demos to setup and numerous communications between partners. 

After the summer break, we had two new full-time people start with us to run the day-to-day operations and overall delivery.  Our new programme manager, Marie Daniels, had managed international secondments in one of her previous roles, and took over the practical side of things with me acting as an advisor.  Since then, things have settled down now and most of my time is spent publicising UK RAS STEPS and co-ordinating certain placements and secondments. 

Enough about my role as a Co-Investigator. Time to explain what UK RAS STEPS can do for RTPs. 

The aspiration is for this project to push the UK to become a world leader in robotics and autonomous systems. Currently, we are 24th in the world for use of robots per employee, so we have a way to go.  To do this, UK RAS STEPS is offering to help RTPs to become the best in the world by: 

• Enhancing professional development. The first wave of placements has already taken place and next year, we plan to hold several training events, workshops and develop a mentorship scheme to support RTP careers.  

• Building supportive networks.  We are encouraging the formation of special interest groups to share best practices and discuss issues in particular underrepresented subject areas.   

• Shape career pathways. There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes to push universities toward having clear career progression for RTPs.   

In addition, there is work being done by the team to influence the future of RAS in the UK. We, as research technical staff, have unique perspectives on the skills and knowledge needed in our field, and our voices are essential in these conversations. By getting involved, we can advocate for policies that address the skills gap and ensure that our community thrives. 

To summarise, UK RAS STEPS aims to improve the lives of robotics and autonomous systems technical professionals, and I am going to do my best to bring about some lasting change for us all.  

To join, just sign up for our newsletter on the website, https://www.ukras-steps.org/ to receive a quarterly bulletin and if you want any more information or wish to take part in placements, longer term secondments or have an idea for a special interest group, please contact info@ukras-steps.org