The Grainger College of Engineering
Engineering IT Shared Services

Research Support

 

Overview

Engineering IT Shared Services Research Support Staff provides research support for Engineering users or groups who purchase research support.

Covers

Researchers who purchase research support receive support for IT needs related to their research activities and projects in addition to the support of university-owned desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Additional services may include but are not limited to:

  • Stewardship of data storage in research environments
  • Assistance obtaining other research-related campus services
  • Licensing, installation and support of research software
  • Consultation, support, and deployment of research workstations
  • Workstations connected to devices or instruments
  • Windows, Mac, or Linux research support; best effort is provided for all other platforms

Features

Ordering, Setup, and Maintenance

  • Configuration, ordering, and receiving for research-related computer hardware and software
  • Initial setup including network configuration, UOFI Active Directory, and OS security
  • Initial setup of both standard application pool and research-specific software
  • Connection of computers to devices, such as custom experimental equipment, 3D printers, and cleanroom tools
  • Installation of endpoint management software for ongoing regular maintenance including OS and application updates as well as sytem vulnerability monitoring

Consultation

  • Recommendation of computers appropriate for the research needs
  • Assistance in finding and using other research-related campus services

Troubleshooting

  • Troubleshooting and resolution of research related software and hardware issues on supported computers to the best of Engineering IT staff members’ combined abilities. This generally includes getting hardware and applications to run as designed. In-depth knowledge of the features and function of individual applications is outside the scope of this service.

Research Software Licensing

  • Coordination with vendors for software license agreements, renewals, and hosting arrangements

Security

  • Initial and ongoing configuration of operating system and applications, monitoring, and incident response/resolution
  • Installation of endpoint management software for ongoing regular maintenance including OS and application updates as well as system vulnerability monitoring.
  • Engineering IT will keep abreast of, and follow, industry best practices for security, State and University policies, and the requirements and recommendations of Technology Services.

Bundled Services

The following services are provided to all users covered by Research Support.

Available To

Departments, units, and research groups within the College of Engineering.

Service Hours

Requests will receive a response within one business day, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, excluding University holidays.

Support Contacts

Email: engrit-help@illinois.edu
Phone: 217-333-1313

Cost

Research Support is an uplift charge. Departments provide the Basic Support cost for everyone, and the difference between that and the current Research Support cost is the fee charged to subscribers to this service. Please see the Service Fees page for more details.

Service Terms

Users of this service agree to the following terms:

  • Engineering IT must be consulted on all new purchases or acquisitions of machines or software to be supported.
  • Engineering IT must have administrator-level privileges on all supported computers.
  • Engineering IT reserves the right to refuse support on hardware or software that is significantly past end-of-life (Typically five years for PCs; past vendor support for software). Exceptions for specific research needs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Engineering IT will build, maintain, and install standard operating system images on all supported computers. In cases where standard systems cannot meet the requirements of the user, Engineering IT will implement the best alternative solution.
  • Engineering IT will apply updates on a regular basis. Updates may require a restart of the computer. Engineering IT will also install critical or emergency software updates with minimal notice if necessary for overall network security. Some exceptions are possible.
  • All purchasers of this service must provide an accurate and up-to-date list of users to be supported.
  • In-depth knowledge of the features and function of individual applications is outside the scope of this service.  
  • Server support, cluster support, and storage are separate services from Research Support. Please see the Related Services section below.

New Service Inquiries

Mark Smylie Hart
Assistant Director for Research Services
mshart@illinois.edu
217-244-7517

Related Services

Research groups may be interested in these additional services:

For a broader view of research-related IT support offerings from Engineering IT and on campus, please contact our Research Technology Facilitator, Ethan Conner (ewconner@illinois.edu).

Get Help

Questions about this topic? Don't see what you're looking for?

Email engrit-help@illinois.edu, call the Help Desk at 217-333-1313, or contact your primary IT support professional.