When I first began exploring artificial intelligence in research management, I wasn’t trying to build a global network. I was simply trying to understand what was happening.
AI was everywhere — in headlines, in demos, in conversations about how it might make our work faster, more efficient, or more insightful. But something was missing.
There were very few spaces to talk honestly about how AI should fit into research — responsibly, ethically, and in a way that strengthens, rather than destabilizes, the systems and people who keep research moving.
So I started reaching out.
At first, it was a handful of messages, early-morning or late-evening conversations with colleagues who were just as curious as I was. We were all asking similar things:
What could AI mean for research operations if we used it well? What should we protect? What should we redesign?
Those early conversations became the spark that eventually grew into AIRON: the AI in Research Operations Network.
How AIRON Was Born
I didn’t set out to create an organisation — I set out to find a community.
A place where research professionals across the ecosystem — research managers, funding administrators, librarians, technologists, policy specialists, data experts, and so many others — could come together to explore what responsible AI looks like in practice.
From the very beginning, AIRON was never about one person’s vision. It grew from shared purpose: the belief that decisions about AI in research should not be led by vendors or policies alone, but by the people who understand the realities of research operations from the inside.
AIRON emerged because people needed a space to connect, learn, question, and build — together.
Why Community Matters More Than Ever
AI can automate, analyze, and accelerate — but it cannot create meaning, trust, or direction. Those come from people.
The challenges we face in research management — from fairness and governance to tooling, workflows, and capability-building — are simply too complex for individuals or single institutions to tackle alone.
But when we come together across roles, disciplines, and regions, something powerful happens:
We start recognising shared patterns, common needs, and new possibilities.
We learn from each other’s experiments.
We avoid reinventing the wheel.
We accelerate progress — responsibly.
That’s what AIRON exists to support:
A global space for collaboration that turns uncertainty into understanding and practical action.
What AIRON Looks Like Today
AIRON has evolved into a global community of practice — one that is diverse, open, and always learning.
Rather than “teams,” AIRON now brings people together through collaborative spaces and programs that reflect how the sector actually works:
Connecting professionals within geographic regions to share local experience, challenges, and innovation.
Bringing together practitioners working in areas like funding, governance, data, ethics, systems, and impact — co-creating guidance and frameworks rooted in real practice.
• AIRO Leads Program & Alumni Community
Developing a cohort of professionals who are experimenting, leading responsible adoption, and building capability within their institutions.
• Events, Discussions, and Learning Spaces
Open conversations, webinars, tool demos, and meetups that turn emerging questions into shared learning.
Sector-wide efforts such as the State of AI in Research Operations report, the AIRON Knowledge Hub, and global pulse surveys.
All of these spaces reflect one simple idea:
When we learn openly and build together, the whole sector becomes stronger.
Why People Join
People join AIRON because they’re excited about AI — and also a little uncertain.
They want to learn, explore, and experiment in a space that’s safe, grounded, and focused on responsible use.
They want to connect with peers who understand what research operations really looks like, and who are trying to make thoughtful, ethical decisions about how AI fits into it.
They join because:
- they want practical, real-world insight
- they want to build confidence
- they want community, not hype
- they want to be part of shaping what comes next.
AIRON is where curiosity meets purpose — and where shared questions turn into actionable insight.
Be Part of What Comes Next
AIRON is growing, and we’re welcoming new people who want to help shape the next chapter of responsible AI in research.
Whether you’re exploring AI for the first time or already leading change in your institution, there’s a place for you here.
Because the future of research won’t simply happen to us.
It’s something we build — together.
If you’re ready to connect, learn, and contribute, we’d love to have you.
AIRON 
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