Download Date - Department of Education and Training Public Submissions

Professor Margaret Harding
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research
+61 2 6125 8487
[email protected]
Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
www.anu.edu.au
CRICOS Provider No. 00120C
Monday, 16 January 2017
Dr Alan Finkel AO
Chief Scientist
Chair, 2016 Roadmap Expert Working Group
Re: Draft 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap
Dear Alan
The ANU supports all nine recommendations of the Draft Roadmap, as well as the nine key focus areas as
the basis for framing future research infrastructure investment needs.
We fully support the Go8 submission and emphasise the importance of recommendations 2, 3, and 4 that
will be critical to the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Roadmap. While it is
understood that fiscal matters are not the remit of the Roadmap, we strongly endorse the principle that all
newly established initiatives for research (recommendation 4) build into funding criteria mechanisms to
ensure that underpinning research infrastructure is identified and funded.
Feedback from ANU is provided on specific focus areas.
1. We strongly support the inclusion of Platforms for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) as
a focus area to address the research infrastructure needs of HASS research, and enable greater
accessibility of data sets. Social science data is by its nature imperfect and contestable; just as
important to users of the data will be an awareness of the current debates about that data. Access to
evaluations and analyses of the data is an important parallel platform that would be of great interest to
social science researchers using the data platforms.
A strong sense of ownership of the need for a singular platform is required across the sector to ensure
its success. The Roadmap would benefit from a greater level of detail regarding the ways in which this
may be achieved. For example, users of these platforms could be required to contribute to the growth
and integrity of the data systems incorporated by the Platforms through their own research, in a spirit of
reciprocity. This could be achieved through requirements placed on recipients of ACGR-funded grants
to provide their data to the national HASS Platforms as appropriate.
The recognition of indigenous research collections in the Roadmap is very important and welcome. A
wider platform that integrates across digital collections and portals, with clear access controls cognizant
of ownership and consent, would provide a huge infrastructure resource that would underpin important
research led by, and in partnership with, indigenous peoples.
2. In order to achieve the future directions outlined within the Advanced Fabrication and Manufacturing
focus area, we encourage further developing priorities around Nanophotonics, metamaterials, and
optical Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) (elaborated in the ANFF submission). These
technologies have the potential for widespread application, such as in high performance computing
systems, high resolution imaging and microscopy, defence and national security, solar cell
technologies, astronomical studies, manufacturing, and food and agriculture industries.
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Skilled people in multi-disciplinary fields are also critical. For example, people with expertise in biology
and materials science allows work on engineering neuronal networks which would not be possible
without the people with expertise to bridge the gap between physical and biological sciences.
3. As host of the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), the ANU is committed to taking a leadership
role in ensuring National High Performance Computing is strategic and accessible and to ensure a
sustainable framework and governance arrangements with Pawsey. We are actively engaged in the
current review that has been commissioned by the Department.
1. In order to achieve the goals in the Environmental Systems focus area, the capacity of the
environmental prediction system should be broadened beyond that of a continental climate model
(ACCESS) to encompass all environments (terrestrial, aquatic, marine, atmospheric, urban, natural and
managed) and operate at a range of scales from continental to regional to local. We support the
establishment of an inwardly looking telescope, recognising this will be dependent, in the first instance,
on existing infrastructure provided through AuScope.
The prediction system will require the continuation of direct onground field monitoring programs as part
of the national infrastructure rather than solely provided through remote sensing, sensors or other
technology. Together, these enhancements will allow the system to provide meaningful outputs relevant
to a range of issues including climate, biodiversity, water, and carbon.
We support the approach to integration and coordination of environmental data outlined in the
Roadmap, and encourage the detail of this to be worked out as part of the facilitation process postRoadmap to ensure all relevant parties (and their expertise) are involved and can collaboratively design
the best options for Australia.
The discussion of Earth Sciences (p.45) should be updated to reflect the difference between Geospatial
and Earth Science research. AuScope provides leading research infrastructure for both Geospatial and
Earth Science research, while Geoscience Australia (GA) provide pre-competitive data enabling
industry to make mineral and energy discoveries.
Finally, we note that Energy and Resources as a focus area has been subsumed into the
Environmental Systems focus area, and suggest consideration be given to disaggregating this as a
standalone priority in alignment with the National Science Research Priorities. This would highlight the
leading position of Australian academic research in this area and their importance to the Australian
economy.
Please don't hesitate to contact my Executive Officer, Karen Warnes ([email protected]), should you
require further information or clarification on the points above.
Yours sincerely
Professor Margaret Harding
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
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