The Bay.FIS research information system
Research is playing an increasingly important role for Bavaria's universities of applied sciences. In order to offer researchers at the institutes and departments the best infrastructure, a research information system was developed with Bay.FIS. It combines numerous processes in a single, powerful system and makes research more transparent, efficient and strategically manageable.
Bay.FIS: the heart of a centralised science management structure
Bay.FIS is a web-based database application developed at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT). The research information system supports various departments and user groups in the efficient administration, evaluation and visualisation of research activities. It serves both as a source of information and as a practical working tool in science management.
The focus is on science management as a structuring and supporting element of scientific activity. Bay.FIS enables the systematic recording and visualisation of a wide range of content that is relevant throughout the entire research process. In addition to project-related master data, the following information is also included:
- Projects
- Funding amounts
- durations
- Project management and project personnel
- Contracts of all kinds
- Project description
- ...
- Publications
- Doctorates, evaluation reports and mentoring
- Co-operations and partners
- Invention disclosures
- Patents
- Links to research data
In addition to research and transfer projects, the system also maps strategic and infrastructural projects - and thus covers the entire area of third-party funding. The ability to link all data areas with each other means that research priorities and potential flagship projects can be quickly identified.
In everyday life, too, it is clear that the bundling of all structures in one efficient system increases clarity and directly supports researchers in their strategic research planning.
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Objectives of Bay.FIS
- Holistic tool for:
- Controlling, steering and research monitoring
- strategic planning
- External presentation of research
- Digital and automated workflows
- More efficient processes for the entire University of applied sciences
- Saving time and resources through
- centralised data storage
- Automated workflows
- Holistic tool for:
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Focus of Bay.FIS
- Structured data capture without redundancies:
- Linking instead of copying
- Analyses from different perspectives
- Orientation towards the research core data set
- High clarity and user-friendliness:
- Little training required
- Needs-based further development in close coordination with the participating institutions
- Structured data capture without redundancies:
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Functions of Bay.FIS
Centralised data management & recording
- Web-based application, accessible at any time
- Centralised recording and linking of meta-information on research activities
- Documented and digitalised project progress
- Recording of doctoral theses
- Publication capture with BibTeX import and export as well as ORCiD import
- External presentation with automatic translation via DeepL - no duplicate data maintenance necessary
- Documented invention and patenting process
- Links to other systems directly from the application
Analysis & queries
- Wide range of filter and query options
- Export functions for reports and statistics
- Support for various departments and user groups through needs-based provision of information
User & system integration
- Authentication via LDAP or Shibboleth/SAML2
- API connection for external systems and websites
- Role-specific access to data
Co-operations & visions
Originally started as a plan to develop a research information system, Bay.FIS is currently in the process of being transformed into a science management information system (WMIS) and is intended to serve as a tool for an efficient science management system (WMS).
The HSWT has taken on a pioneering role throughout Bavaria with the storage and processing of framework data for research projects. A consortium of 14 Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) and Technical Universities (TH) and the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre has now been formed. This consortium is jointly developing the WMIS, which has already been widely implemented.
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What advantages does the co-operation offer?
- Monthly exchange within the cooperation
- Jour Fixe IT
- Jour Fixe Science Management Department
- Monthly sandbox meeting for beginner questions and exchange
- Annual face-to-face meeting in Weihenstephan
- Exchange on challenges, innovations and processes in research management
- The exchange in the cooperation is perceived as very valuable by all participants
- Monthly exchange within the cooperation
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Bay.FIS Philosophy
- Changes/extensions benefit all Bay.FIS partners
- Bay.FIS partners share knowledge and processes
- Bay.FIS partners support each other (both technically and in terms of content)
- There is no service provider - the partners act as a co-operation
Current co-operation partners
What advantages does Bay.FIS offer?
User-friendly functions
Filters, reminders and automatic notifications make daily work easier and improve the overview of projects and appointments.
Efficient data management
High flexibility and a powerful role and authorisation system as well as automated processes ensure a consistent, secure and always up-to-date database throughout the university.
Visibility and external image
Research activities, doctoral projects and scientific publications are recorded centrally, automatically prepared for web presentation and made available via defined interfaces.
Documented and digitalised project progress
- Data pool for drafts
- Early information by project manager
- Deadline reminder
- Submission deadlines
- Archiving the submitted documents
- Recording of framework data
- Funding programme
- Client / sponsor
- Planning the project duration
- Creation of appointment reminders
- External presentation
- Contracts Cost plans
- documentation
- Appointments
- publications
- Reports and statistics
- Monitoring the retention period
- Statistics
- Secure storage
- Deadline monitoring
Increasing the visibility of research
Bay.FIS also plays an important role in the external presentation of the research achievements of the universities of applied sciences. The released research or knowledge transfer projects and the associated publications and doctorates are mirrored on the respective websites via corresponding interfaces. On the following websites, the research achievements of the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences can be filtered and viewed according to various criteria.
