Dr Richard Williams
Senior LecturerResearch Overview
I am a member of the Department of Management Science and actively involved in three of its research groups: Information Systems Research Group, Health Systems Research Group, and Simulation and Stochastic Modelling Research Group. In addition, I am a member of: the multidisciplinary Data Science Institute (DSI); the Centre for Technological Futures (CTF); and the Lancaster Intelligent, Robotic and Autonomous Systems Centre (LIRA). My research revolves around the broad theme of Complex Systems Science. At present, I have particular interest in two main areas around: Operational Research of Health and Illness (Computational Biology, Bioinformatics and Medicine), and Operational Research of Social Dynamics in Information System projects.
Career Details
- 2019 + Senior Lecturer in Management Science, Department of Management Science, Lancaster University
- 2015 - 2019 Lecturer in Management Science, Department of Management Science, Lancaster University
- 2013 - 2015 SAMS-ESRC-UKCES Management and Business Development Fellow, Department of Management Science, Lancaster University
- 2004 - 2009 Project Manager (Consultant), Oracle Corporation UK Ltd
- 2001 - 2004 Applications Consultant (Programmer), Oracle Corporation UK Ltd
- 1999 - 2000 Associate Consultant, Cambridge Professional Development Ltd
Research Interests
Currently focused around Complexity in Information Systems Project Management, because:
The implementation and management of large information system (IS) projects often becomes the preserve of external service providers. Some of the larger IS projects consist of hundreds of customer and third-party team members, who may be located across multiple geographies, and time zones. It has been argued that the increasing size and complexity of these IS projects, leads them to exhibit the behaviours and traits of complex systems.
Without a clear understanding of the emergent behaviours of large IS projects, it is difficult to predict the likelihood of successful implementation.
Professional Role
I am a Member of the Department's Undergraduate Teaching Steering Committee and a Member of the Pendle College Advisor Team (PCAT).
I have previously been the Early Career Representative on the University Research Committee (2014-15); the Director of Part I Undergraduate Studies in Management Science (2015-16); a Member of the Department's Research & Enterprise Steering Committee (2017-18); Director of Business Analytics and Consultancy degree and the Director of Part II UG Studies within the Department of Management Science (2018-2020); and a Member of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (2016-2019).
Current Teaching
Previous Teaching:
MSCI105 Project Challenge (2015-17, 2019)
MSCI251 Project Management Tools and Techniques (2013-18)
MSCI304 Developing Management Information Systems (2019)
MSCI390 Business Analytics & Consultancy Consolidation Project (2016-17; 2019-20)
MSCI610 Principles of Project Management (2017)
MSCI611 Applied Project Management (2017)
FMBA508 Digital Innovation in Business (2016-18)
STOR601 Simulation (2017-20)
Qualifications
I have academic qualifications within the fields of Biochemistry (BSc Wales, MPhil Cambridge), Computational Biology (MRes York), Computer Science (MSc Kent, PhD York), and Higher Education (PGCertAP Lancaster). In addition I have a number of professional certifications and registrations, including: Chartered Professional Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS CITP), Project Management Professional of the Project Management Institute (PMP), Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (SMIEEE), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
Research Grants
I have secured the following grant income:
Lancaster University Management School Pump Priming Scheme (May 2015 - Dec 2016)
Competitively awarded small grant to provide travel expenses for a visit to Canada with a view to developing future collaborative research links with colleagues at McGill University and HEC Montreal.
Lancaster University Early Career Small Grant Scheme (May 2014 - Dec 2016)
Competitively awarded small grant to provide fieldwork expenses for a 2-year qualitative research project.
SAMS-ESRC-UKCES Academic Development Fellowship (Oct 2013 - Sep 2015)
Junior Research Fellowship aimed at career changers (from industry) and discipline changers (having a PhD outside of Business/Manageemnt) wanting to gain an academic career in a UK Business or Management School. Grant Reference: ES/L002612/1
PhD Supervision Interests
I am willing to supervise PhD students who have research interests around computational modeling and simulation of complex real-world systems. My expertise are within agent-based modeling and simulation of complex biological and social systems, however I am interested in modeling and simulation techniques broadly. I have two main research interests: 1) computational modeling and simulation of complex systems in order to allow us to use simulation-based experimentation to answer novel questions of the real-world; 2) using existing computational models to enable us to develop novel statistical and software engineering techniques to ensure that computational models, especially agent-based models, are fit-for-purpose.
Competitor Intelligence and Product Innovation
02/04/2018 → 30/08/2019
Research
A national service development survey of Foundation doctors' medical ethics and law training
01/06/2017 → 01/06/2018
Other
Exploring Perceptions of Quality Umbilical Cord Blood in Stem Cell Treatments
01/07/2014 → 31/07/2016
Research
OR of Health and Illness
01/07/2014 → …
Research
An Investigation of Business-to-Business Relationships within Large Multi-Vendor Software Implementations based on Commitment-Trust Theory
01/10/2013 → 30/09/2015
Research
Interprofessional Education
01/01/1900 → …
Other
IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Good (Event)
Membership of committee
Informing and Influencing Curriculum and Practice: Foundation Doctors' Medical Ethics and Legal Training Needs
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
14th IEEE International Systems Conference (Event)
Membership of committee
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Winter Simulation Conference 2019 (Event)
Membership of committee
The ‘Vulnerable’ Practitioner: Exploring the Ethical and Legal Training Needs of UK Foundation Doctors
Invited talk
60th Annual Conference of the Operational Research Society
Participation in conference
Exploring the Ethical and Legal Training Needs of Foundation Doctors
Oral presentation
Exploring the Ethical and Legal Training Needs of Foundation Doctors
Oral presentation
Royal Society for Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (External organisation)
Membership of network
Journal of Simulation (Journal)
Publication peer-review
MSMEs Adoption of Online Commerce: A Complex System
Invited talk
Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Blackpool & The Fylde College (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Careers Service, Lancaster University
Business Engagement
IIE Transactions on Healthcare Systems Engineering (Journal)
Publication peer-review
BMC Systems Biology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2017: Special Session on Artificial Immune Systems
Participation in conference
6th Chartered Association of Business Schools Conference on Learning, Teaching and Student Experience
Participation in conference
Applied Mathematics, Modeling and Statistics Applications Conference (Event)
Membership of committee
BSA Deconstructing Donation Study Group Conference
Participation in conference
BSA Deconstructing Donation Study Group Conference
Participation in conference
Takuya Matsushige
Hosting an academic visitor
Cambridge University Press (Publisher)
Publication peer-review
ICIS 2016 (Event)
Membership of committee
5th Chartered Association of Business Schools Conference on Learning, Teaching and Student Engagement
Participation in conference
BBSRC (External organisation)
Membership of committee
24th European Conference on Information Systems (Event)
Membership of committee
Project Management Institute (External organisation)
Member of Advisory Panel
The Royal Society
Business Engagement
Journal of Biomedical Informatics (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Systems Biology and Medicine (Journal)
Publication peer-review
ESRC Peer College Review (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Computation (Journal)
Editorial activity
8th Workshop on Complex Systems Modelling and Simulation
Participation in conference
European Conference on Artificial Life
Participation in conference
27th European Conference on Operational Research
Participation in conference
The British Computer Society
Business Engagement
Kent Business School Networking and Graduate Careers Event
Invited talk
Science Signaling (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Synergy 2014
Participation in conference
Global Life Sciences and Bionetworking -- Cell therapy production, provision and policies
Participation in conference
Where will our IT Project Managers come from?
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
PLoS ONE (Journal)
Publication peer-review
7th Simulation Workshop (SW14)
Participation in conference
Natural Computing (Journal)
Publication peer-review
RCUK
School Engagement
11th International Conference on Artificial Immune Systems
Participation in conference
Systems Immunology Symposium
Participation in conference
10th International Conference on Artificial Immune Systems
Participation in conference
STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network)
School Engagement
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Election to learned society
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Election to learned society
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
Election to learned society
Chartered Biologist (CBiol)
Other distinction
Chartered IT Professional (CITP)
Other distinction
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Other distinction
Management and Business Development Fellowship
Fellowship awarded competitively
Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (MIEEE)
Election to learned society
Elevation to Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (SMIEEE)
Election to learned society
Health Systems, Information Systems
- Centre for Technological Futures
- DSI - Health
- Health Systems
- Information Systems
- Simulation and Stochastic Modelling
- STOR-i Centre for Doctoral Training
- Technology, Systems and Organisation