The TU Dresden is a research-strong university of excellence where a large number of research outputs are generated. In order to make these available efficiently and centrally, TU Dresden has a Research Information System (FIS). The FIS brings together research information from different internal and external sources and links them to persons and organizational units of the own institution as well as to partners of other universities and research institutions in order to visualize research networks. This makes the FIS a central tool for internal and external research reporting.

The TUD Research Portal is not the same as the FIS. The TUD Research Portal is a public research platform equipped with search filters, where only publicly released scientific profiles of researchers and organizational units as well as research information of the TU Dresden originating from the FIS can be found. Access to the FIS requires a valid ZIH user account and a FIS user profile while the TUD Research Portal does not require a login. The TUD Research Portal offers all researchers an attractive platform for self-determined presentation of their own scientific profile, with the aim of significantly increasing the outreach and visibility of research activities and research results linked to the TU Dresden websites.

As a result of a call for a Europe-wide tender, TU Dresden has a decided for the product PURE from Elsevier. PURE is standardised information system that manages multi-faceted research activities using personalised research profiles where research information is listed and can be connected with numerous internal and external researchers and organisational units or research institutions. PURE uses a standardised data structure using the European CERIF (Common European Research Information Format) standard and provides defined interfaces to other systems and databases. The software is used or currently implemented at more than 250 research institutions.

All information about the FIS can be found in the digital FIS manual (only available in the TUD-internal network!). If you have any questions, please contact the key users in your faculty (usually the dean's office or the schools' administration) or the Cental academic unit, respectivily, or directly the central FIS Support.

All scientists at the TUD automatically receive access to the FIS and a FIS profile by default. Technical and administrative staff as well as students generally do not have access to the FIS, but may request it in order to fulfill assigned official duties. Detailed information on roles and authorizations in the FIS can be found in the digital manual.

In a joint consultation with the deans of the faculties, the rectorate has decided in favor of transferring the large amount of research information from the former into the new FIS. Data were technically transferred to the new FIS as far as this was possible and must be checked by the researchers involved and missing information must be added. Instructions can be found in the digital FIS manual.
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Currently, FIS embedding boxes are available for the dynamic integration of publication lists into the TU Dresden websites. For detailed information to a publication, a link to the TUD Research Portal is provided. A WebCMS help page can be found here or please refer to the digital manual. Please note, instructions are only available in the internal area.

The security concept required for the operation of the FIS, in which data protection measures such as the rights-role concept are documented, was approved by the by the Unit 3.5 Information Security and the Staff council. Here you can find the new Regulations for the Operation of a Research Information System and the Processing of Personal Data in the FIS at the TU Dresden (FIS Regulations) of February 22, 2021,  approved by the Senate of the TU Dresden and published in March 2021. According to the FIS Regulations, all members and affiliates of TU Dresden who are active in research are obligated to enter all research information in the FIS, including transfer services, and to keep this information up to date (please also refer to the internal regulations)

The integration of a complex Research Information System (FIS) using a comprehensive rights- and role-based access control system enables researchers and the research-supporting staff to quickly access research information of their own or required to properly fulfill their tasks, respectively. It can be guaranteed that research information is quality assured and up-to-date providing an intuitive user interface and useful interfaces to public databases connected with validation and approval workflows. Therefore, an integrated FIS is at the same time information provider and daily working tool for researchers, university administration and management in faculties, schools and the rectorate. By operating a FIS, of course a different set of added values can be expected for these different groups of interest.

Expected added value for researchers

Long-termly, reduced workload as well as ensuring control and transparency because research information is entered once by the researcher and thus available for multiple use within the university. The FIS especially offers:

• An own research profile for researchers at all levels of their careers– from the level of a doctoral candidate up to the professor
• Easy collection of research output using a standardised user inferface for date entry
• Import and export of publications from or into personalised or public reference management databases in standard formats such as BibTeX and RIS
• Generation of standardised CVs such as EuroPass or NIH Biosketch using research information from the FIS
• Simple integration of publication and projects lists into personalised or institutional websites of TU Dresden (WebCMS)
• Presentation of its own research profile with selected data from the FIS in the new TU Dresden Research Portal aiming at cross-linking with internal and external groups of interests
• Relief and simplification of research reporting by a professional reporting module

Expected added value for researcher-supporting administration:

Support of researchers and research management at faculties, schools and the rectorate by using a professional research reporting module and promotion of the university marketing strategy by:

• Avoiding redundant data collection and ensuring a consistent data basis for different reporting purposes
• Quality assurance of research information by standardised user inferface for data entry and hierarchical validation and approval workflows
• Sustainable documentation of multi-facetted research activities and results
• Simple generation of necessary research reports (reporting requirements according to §47 of the SächsHSFG - Saxon Law on autonomy in the university system)

The Unit 5.5 Research Information within the Directorate research is operationally responsible for the go-live and live operations of the new information system (FIS). If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the team FIS Support.