Research groups, institutes, and centres associated with the DeGroote School of Business (DSB) can contact the DeGroote Marketing and Communications team to learn more about the available options for website development.

Unfortunately DSB does not offer website development for individual researchers, however they do offer individual profile pages on their DeGroote Research website.

Please contact your Faculty IT unit.

What is available: WordPress (MacSites).

Customization options: Available through Media Production Services (MPS).

Support services offered by unit: Generally lab websites; not individual researcher websites. FHS form available to request a website for the following FHS-affiliated groups/areas:

• Departments, Programs

• Administrative Units

• Institutes / Centers

• Research Labs

Cost: No cost.

Accessibility and McMaster brand compliance: FHS uses the central MacSites/WordPress template. Users are required to have their content reviewed by FHS Communications & CSU prior to launch.

How to request a website: Submit a ticket.

What is available: Central WordPress using MacSites theme.

Customization options: Development of custom applications in the cloud is offered using Akami, a cloud computing platform.

Support services offered by unit: Generally lab websites, project websites, etc. (not individual sites).

Cost: In-kind support (added to grant proposal).

Accessibility and McMaster brand compliance: Use central WordPress templates (MacSites).

How to request a website: Submit a ticket, OR send an email to: belljm@mcmaster.ca

What is available: WordPress ecosystem developed and maintained by Media Production Services (MPS) at McMaster University.

Customization options: The latest WordPress and plugin updates are available on a regular release cycle. Training and documentation are provided and maintained. Some integrations with Mac Experts. Features are regularly built and released with researchers in mind.

Support services offered by unit: MPS offers maintenance, security updates, accessibility improvements and adds ongoing new features to supported websites. Infrastructure and WordPress security is managed and maintained in partnership with MPS and UTS.

Cost: Monthly subscription fee billed annually at fiscal start. For detailed cost breakdowns, discounts and initial project options, please consult the “Getting Started with MacSites” form, which outlines pricing.

Accessibility and McMaster brand compliance: Full ongoing compliance with CMPA standards with new features. Continued compliance and support with the AODA WCAG legislative guidelines.

How to request a website: Fill out the “Getting Started with MacSites” form.

What is available: Researchers can setup a service contract with RHPCS to handle hosting your site.

Customization options: Researchers have full control over which CMS they want hosted. Researchers can use a preferred static html generator and plugins to add to your site and build your site out. RHPCS are veterans when it comes to research support and may be able to guide you towards an option that works best for your area.

Support services offered by unit: As it relates to security, there are some aspects of the web hosting platforms that RHPCS has to maintain (e.g. operating system updates). There are other aspects of maintenance that are the web site owner’s responsibility (e.g. WordPress updates). Then there are other aspects that neither RHPCS nor a researcher would be able to maintain and site developers or programmers would need to be involved, and that would be up to the researcher to arrange.

Cost: For current rates, please reach out to RHPCS at rhpcs@mcmaster.ca

Accessibility and McMaster brand compliance: Researchers will have to independently maintain AODA and McMaster brand compliance. Explore the Accessible Digital Content Training Pressbook.

How to request a website: Contact RHPCS via email.

Please contact your Faculty IT unit: scitech@mcmaster.ca.

Please contact the FSS Communications team via JIRA ticket: Submit a ticket.