The IDRE board is available to respond to requests for feedback about initiatives related to digital and data-intensive research at UCLA, including those that will impact research practices, software and data, and infrastructure.

The IDRE board is able to respond to requests from entities across UCLA, including governance entities, units, working groups or committees, and individuals. Requests should relate to initiatives that impact research at UCLA. Within its capacity as the UCLA IT Governance domain-specific committee on research, the IDRE board anticipates that a major source of requests will be the IT governance process. 

The board may decline to respond to a request if IDRE feels that the request is not pertinent to the use and development of advanced cyberinfrastructure methods, tools, and services for research and teaching.

Previous Requests

New Requests 

All requests to IDRE should be in writing and submitted to help@idre.ucla.edu. 

All requests should clearly describe the initiative (e.g., project, software implementation, report, etc.) to which it pertains. The information provided should be sufficiently detailed for the IDRE board to offer meaningful feedback and/or vote to endorse the proposal. The request should make clear what is being proposed, by whom, on what timeline, and how it will impact research at UCLA. 

Types of Requests and Timing 

Requests can be for comment, endorsement, or both. 

• Comment: the requestor asks the IDRE board for comment, advice, and input on an initiative. The requestor intends to use the feedback received to modify or improve their initiative, and will not interpret the comments received as an endorsement or lack thereof unless an endorsement is specifically requested. An initiative may undergo multiple requests for comment from the IDRE board, and feedback can be requested for initiatives at all stages of their lifecycle (planning, outset, wrap up). 
• Endorsement: The requestor asks the IDRE board to hold a vote to endorse their initiative. An endorsement is typically sought at the beginning or end of an initiative. 

Timing 

Requests received at least three weeks prior to the next scheduled IDRE board meeting will be prioritized for discussion at that meeting. The IDRE board meets quarterly, usually in October, January, and April.

Requests received within three weeks of a scheduled meeting will be processed to the extent possible, but may be deferred to the next cycle. If there are more requests than can be handled at a single board meeting, it is at the discretion of IDRE which requests will be discussed at the meeting. Requests that require urgent action may be submitted at any time, and the IDRE leadership dommittee will review the request to determine whether they can respond on behalf of the IDRE board or if the request should be routed to the full IDRE board. If the leadership committee determines that they can respond on behalf of the board, then they will discuss the request at their next monthly meeting. If the leadership committee determines that the request must be sent to the full board, then an off-cycle IDRE board meeting will be scheduled. Such off-cycle meetings are reserved for extraordinary requests, and the expectation is that most requests will be reviewed in the course of regular IDRE board meetings.

Each request will be distributed to the IDRE board at least one week prior to the meeting. Typically, the request will be sent with the agenda for the upcoming meeting, though in certain circumstances (e.g., an especially intensive request or an approved off-cycle review), the request may be sent to the board at another time.