AsSIST was set up following a meeting in September 1994. Given the many opportunities and challenges facing us, our priority was to develop quickly a mechanism to improve the exchange of information within the community and its communications with external agencies. We therefore established AsSIST as a 'virtual organisation' - utilising electronic mail as far as possible. The meeting agreed that Robin Williams of Edinburgh University would be the chair, and Peter Healey of SPSG the secretary, with a view to establishing a more formalised structure and constitution when this proved necessary.
In our first year AsSIST ran two conferences. The first, on Innovation Research (Aston Business School 23-24 February 1995), was convened by Fred Steward, and brought together researchers and research sponsors in the field. A working conference for research students was held at Lancaster University in September 1995.
We discussed with the Higher Education Funding Councils how our interdisciplinary area of work would be handled in the the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise, and were invited to nominate members of the Assessment Panels. One of our nominees, Steve Woolgar from Brunel, was selected for the Sociology Panel.
We have established a directory of expertise and research interests of AsSIST members (copies available from Robin Williams). This was at the request of the Economic and Social Research Council - and should prove a useful resource for people inside and outside the field. If it proves useful we will update it on a rolling basis.
Published by the Research Centre for Social Science, 4 March 1996