Structure

SPRITE+ is led by a Management Team, working closely with Project Partners and Expert Fellows. A Strategic Advisory Board reviews and helps to develop SPRITE+’s performance. Membership is open to both academic and non-academic individuals and organisations.

Management Team

The Director of SPRITE+ is Professor Emma Barrett (University of Manchester), with co-Directors Professor Deeph Chana (Imperial College), Professor Stacey Conchie (Lancaster), Professor Sakir Sezer (Queen’s University Belfast) and Professor Vladimiro Sassone (University of Southampton). Professor Mark Elliot (University of Manchester) is Expert Fellows’ Co-ordinator. Together, the Management Team sets the direction of the NetworkPlus, manages relationships with Project Partners and other stakeholders, and oversees SPRITE+’s activities, including supporting the work of Working Groups and the administration of the research fund.

Advisory Board

We have an independent Advisory Board. The Board meets biannually to:

• Review SPRITE+ activities in the context of the policy and practice landscape
• Suggest ways of extending and developing the network
• Promote SPRITE+ within stakeholder communities
• Provide advice on the strategic direction of SPRITE+

Project Partners

We have a diverse group of Project Partners, from industry, public sector, and third sector organisations. They support SPRITE+ by providing expert input to shaping our activities and setting our research directions, to ensure they are end-user relevant. Project Partners will also support the SPRITE+ community by hosting internships, loaning their staff to academic research groups, hosting and organising events, and providing access to expertise, equipment, and data.

Project Partners benefit from exploring and testing innovative ideas and from access the deep and wide expertise of UK academia. Through our networks, they will also have access to international expertise.

SPRITE+ Expert Fellows

Academic Expert Fellows complement the Management Team’s expertise and help SPRITE+ develop a multidisciplinary approach to realising its vision. Fellows provide intellectual leadership, take a leading role in setting and exploring Challenge Themes, and help bridge the gaps between diverse cognate groups and networks.

We have more than 140 Expert Fellows so far, and run open calls to fill gaps in expertise, particularly targeting those from outside the traditional ‘cyber security’ community.

Project Partners will nominate one or more non-academic Expert Fellows. These individuals are champions for research engagement within their organisations and sector, play a key role in setting and exploring Challenge Themes, advise the Management Team on how to enhance industry engagement, act as expert advisors (for instance, in the review of research projects), and support impact generation.

Learn more about our Expert Fellows community here.

SPRITE+ Members

Membership of SPRITE+ is free and open to all with an interest in the future of security, privacy, identity and trust in the digital age. Members receive a newsletter, access to online resources, and opportunities to attend events and bid for funds. Members’ online profiles (optional) offer opportunities to contact each other, for networking and building collaborative partnerships.

We are particularly keen to see new academic members from disciplines that are often not represented in traditional discussions of digital security, such as Creative & Performing Arts, Digital humanities, Economics, Education, History, Human geography, Law & legal studies, Literature, Management & business studies, Philosophy and ethics, Political Science International Studies, Psychology, Social anthropology, Social policy, Social statistics, and Sociology.

Non-academic members are welcomed from any sector, including commercial businesses, charities, trade and advocacy groups, local and central government, and law enforcement agencies.

Register for membership here.

Know Innovation

Know Innovation are our partners in community building. They design and deliver engagement activities and collaboration tools, including managing SPRITEHub, our online collaboration platform, and they co-design and facilitate online and face-to-face events.

Disclaimer

At SPRITE+ we pride ourselves on fostering relationships with, and providing a platform to, a diverse network of contributors and Project Partners to assist in reaching our goals. However, Project Partnership does not imply, and should not be interpreted as, recommendation, endorsement or promotion by SPRITE+ of any one particular Partner; all elements of their industry; their products or commercial interests; or the views of individual contributors. Any views expressed through the SPRITE+ network are those of the Project Partners or individual members and do not represent those of the network or the universities involved in operating the network.