It’s time for the feds to chart the next course for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure.
Many lobbies have excellent ideas in the interests of the nation and their members – just not necessarily in that order.
There are 29 facilities in NCRIS which provide resources for researchers in a spectrum of disciplines. When aliens with ill environmental intent arrive, or some other calamity approaches our shores, NCRIS facilities will do Australia’s share of working out what to do. Every five years, program resources are reviewed and this time around the review is being conducted by an advisory group chaired by Liz Sonenberg (Uni Melbourne).
Submissions from user-lobbies include:
The Academy of Science
- $200m per annum for ten years to “secure” sovereign capability in computer and data infrastructure “including a pathway to exascale computing.” (FC is undoubtedly the last to know that an exaflop = one quintillion calculations per second)
- A national program to “better maintain and mobilise collections-based data”
- Career pathways for NRI staff ( in 2022 agency directors called for a system-specific employment classification for them)
- Above all the Academy warns against prioritising government priorities, instead the road should support research, “that leads to new discoveries.”
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- A government coordinating agency for all publicly funded research, including infrastructure
- Industry, including SMEs and startups, accessing NCRIS
- Secure funding and a roadmap for weather and climate research computing
- Shared-use infrastructure for machine-learning and AI
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has specifics, but its overall imperative is an access to kit for HASS disciplines.
The pitch is, “new research methodologies and the vastly increased volume of research-relevant data being collected and stored by governments, private companies and research organisations has made clear the necessity and value of discrete, national-scale HASS infrastructures across a broad suite of disciplines and in clear and distinct areas of operation.”
As of Friday, there were no visible submissions from the other two academies.
It’s time for the feds to chart the next course for the National
Collaborative Research Infrastructure. Many lobbies have excellent ideas in the interests of the
nation and their members – just not necessarily in that order. There are 29 facilities in NCRIS which provide resources for
researchers in a spectrum of disciplines. When aliens with ill environmental
intent arrive, or some other calamity approaches our shores, NCRIS facilities
will do Australia’s share of working out what to do. Every five years, program resources are
reviewed and this time around the review is being conducted by an advisory
group chaired by Liz Sonenberg (Uni Melbourne). Submissions from user-lobbies include: The Academy of Science·
$200m per annum for ten years to “secure”
sovereign capability in computer and data infrastructure “including a pathway
to exascale computing.” (FC is
undoubtedly the last to know that an exaflop = one quintillion calculations per
second) ·
A national program to “better maintain and
mobilise collections-based data”·
Career pathways for NRI staff ( in 2022 agency
directors called for a system-specific employment classification for them)·
Above all the Academy warns against prioritising
government priorities, instead the road should support research, “that leads to
new discoveries.” The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and
Engineering ·
A government coordinating agency for all
publicly funded research, including infrastructure·
Industry, including SMEs and startups, accessing
NCRIS ·
Secure funding and a roadmap for weather and
climate research computing ·
Shared-use infrastructure for machine-learning
and AI The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has
specifics, but its overall imperative is an access to kit for HASS disciplines. The pitch is, “new research methodologies and the vastly
increased volume of research-relevant data being collected and stored by
governments, private companies and research organisations has made clear the
necessity and value of discrete, national-scale HASS infrastructures across a
broad suite of disciplines and in clear and distinct areas of operation.” As of Friday, there were no visible submissions from the
other two academies.