The Office of the CIO has established a new area called Research Enablement in an effort to create a more integrated, accessible and future-ready research support ecosystem. This change was created in response to feedback from the research community, who face challenges navigating the range of distributed resources, leading to gaps in awareness and missed opportunities.
Research Enablement will focus on growing community, aligning research support efforts and increasing awareness of the diverse services to support navigation of Illinois’ vibrant research enterprise.
“My vision for Research Enablement is to create a connected, collaborative environment where researchers can easily access the support they need to do their best work,”
In support of this, the Office of the CIO has also introduced a new role—assistant director of Research Collaborative Services—within Research Enablement.
“This new role helps make the vision for Research Enablement real by strengthening relationships across campus and creating shared space for problem-solving—not just within IT, but in partnership with the library, research administration, institutes and academic and research units,” Hovious said.
At the core of this new role is a focus on cultivating those unit partnerships—ensuring that support across the university is coordinated, connected and responsive to the needs of researchers.
Fortunately, the newly named assistant director for Research Collaborative Services is Josh Henry, whose commitment to open communication, team building and supporting faculty makes him an ideal fit. Henry previously served as associate director of IT at the College of ACES, where he built strong partnerships by connecting, coaching and consulting with researchers, staff and administrators. He brings a combination of technical expertise, strategic thinking and a people-centered mindset—qualities that align seamlessly with the vision for Research Enablement.
While Research Enablement represents just one part of a larger, evolving solution, it marks a meaningful shift toward building awareness, strengthening collaboration and ensuring that research support at Illinois is easier to find, access and trust.