ADSN Series: Advancing Data-intensive Research in Australia

This ADSN series will explore the report released by the Australian Academy of Science on ‘Advancing data-intensive research in Australia’.

In October 2021, the Australian Academy of Science released the report. It identifies opportunities to advance data-intensive research in Australia by aligning research policy, research infrastructure, skills and education, and recognising data science as a distinct scientific discipline.

The report was funded by the Australian Research Council under the Learned Academies Special Projects scheme.

As a follow-up to the report, the ADSN held a series of workshops in 2022 for its members to explore the report and what it means for the ADSN and its member organisations.

Workshop #5: 9 September 2022

The Australian Data Science Network welcomed the Australian Data Research Commons (ARDC) for an online discussion to explore opportunities on how the ADSN and its organisations might work together with the ARDC. We will be joined by Keith Russell, Manager of Engagements and Expertise at the ARDC.

Keith gave us a brief overview of the ARDC for those of us who aren’t familiar with it and then discussed some of the key initiatives the ARDC is working on in the Data Science space.

Workshop #4: 19 August 2022

This workshop explored the recently released reports from the ARDC, the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) and the five Learned Academies to help build a more coherent data policy and uplift our national data capabilities for researchers.

Our guests for the workshop are:

  • Shannon Callaghan: Senior Policy Advisor for the ADRC. Shannon was the program manager for the whole set of projects at each of the Academies and ACOLA
  • Isabel Ceron: Senior Policy Analyst for the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia
  • Prof Louisa Jorm: Foundation Director of the Centre for Big Data Research in Health at UNSW Sydney. Prof Jorm chaired the Steering Committee for the report from the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
  • Prof Lesley Wyborn: Australian National University. Prof Wyborn is Chair of the Data in Science Committee for the Australian Academy of Science

Workshop #3: 8 July 2022

In this third workshop in this series, we explored the recommendation that Data Science should be a scientific discipline in its own right, with guests:

  • Dr Kate Devitt: Chief Scientist of Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre (TAS-DCRC)
  • Prof Sally Cripps: Research Program Director, Analytics & Decision Sciences at CSIRO/Data 61
  • Prof Troy Farrell: Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, QUT

Workshop #2: 10 June 2022

Our second workshop in this series explored the role of data research centres and the ADSN in advancing this initiative. Our guests were:

  • Prof Joanna Batstone, Director of the Monash Data Futures Institute
  • Prof Scott Sisson, Director of the UNSW Data Science Hub
  • Prof Kerrie Wilson, QUT Pro-Vice Chancellor (Sustainability)

Workshop #1: 13 May 2022

Our first workshop in this series featured two of the authors of the report, Professor Jane Elith and Emeritus Professor Michael Barber. QUT Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen moderated the discussion.

For more information about this series, email [email protected]