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2016NationalResearchInfrastructureRoadmapCapabilityIssuesPaper

SubmissionNo:(tobecompletedbyDepartmentalstaff)Name ProfessorDuncanIvisonTitle/role DeputyVice-Chancellor(Research)Organisation TheUniversityofSydneyPreferredcontactphonenumber 0286278150Preferredemail duncan.ivison@sydney.edu.auWouldyoulikeyoursubmissiontoremainconfidential,i.e.notpublishedonthewebsite?

No

Question1: Arethereothercapabilityareasthatshouldbeconsidered?

Theproposedlistofcapabilitiesisbroadlyappropriate.

TheUniversityofSydneyconsidersthatthereareinterestingopportunitiesinstructuringthefitbetweencapabilityareasandtheparticularresearchfacilitiesthatwouldenabletheiradvancement.Thereareopportunitiesforinvestmentinresearchfacilitiesthatworkacrossanumberofthesecapabilityareas,aswellasinmoretargetedfacilitiesthatareprimarilyconcernedwithonecapabilityarea.Bothsortsoffacilitiesareneededtoensurethatthesecapabilityareasproperlyflourishandadvance.Thisbi-modalapproachtoinvestmentinnationalresearchinfrastructurewillenablethedevelopmentofnewmethodologiesthatcanbeadaptedbetweenresearchcommunities,thusacceleratingdiscoveryandinnovation.Inthisregard,wenotethatthesuccessofanumberofdistributednationalresearchfacilitiesthatoperateasnationalcapabilitygrids(e.g.Horizon2020’sGlobalBioImagingismodelledontheAMMRF).Thishard-wonglobalpositioningviaNCRISoughttobefurtherleveraged,andhasthepotentialtobeadistinctiveandsuccessfulfeatureofAustraliannationalresearchfacilities.

Westronglyadvocatetheimportanceofthepluralityofthesecapabilityareas.Thewaythatwechoosetorespondtothemostsignificantchallengesofourtimearoundclimate,health,food,water,energy,communications,transport,manufacturing,construction,nationalsecurityandproducingstableeconomicandpoliticalsystems,willlargelydefineourfutureasanation.Inseekingtoestablishanationalplanforresearchinfrastructure,itmustbeconsistentlyrecognisedthateachoftheidentifiedcapabilityareashasakeyroletoplay.Wewouldthereforeurgeagainstanapproachthatsupportsaverysmallnumberof“moonshot”projectsbecauseofthelimitationsthatsuchanapproachwillimposeonourbroadernationalcapacityforinnovation.Ontheotherhand,notfundingnewresearchinfrastructureatallwouldbeareversiontoalaissez-faireapproachtoresearchinfrastructure.Non-strategicoutcomes,theexclusionofsmalleruniversitiesandpoorlysupportedinstallationsandfacilitieswouldalmostcertainlybetheresult.

Question2: Arethesegovernancecharacteristicsappropriateandarethereotherfactorsthatshouldbeconsideredforoptimalgovernancefornationalresearchinfrastructure.

Inadditiontothelistedgovernancecharacteristics,wewouldrecommendinclusionofademonstratedcapacityfor:

• impartialitythatisnotbiasedtowardsparticulardisciplinesorinstitutions;acrossthefieldsofbothSTEMandHASS;

• transparency;• inclusiveness;• achievingbalancebetweentheneedfor“top-down”processes,anduser-driven“bottom-up”

processesthatdrivethedevelopmentofnewcapabilityinresearchfacilities;• fosteringacultureofmethodologicalinnovationsothatournationalresearchfacilitiesprovide

researchcommunitieswithacapacitytoachievedisciplineleadershipandinnovation,andarenotmerelyofferinga“set-menu”;

• long-termstrategiccommitment—importantforlifecyclemanagementofinstrumentation,technicalroadmappingandstaffretention/refreshment

• agileresponsivenesstofast-changingsituationssuchaslocal,stateornationalemergencies,unexpectedparadigm-changingscientificbreakthroughs,changestotheglobalmarketplace,ortherapidonsetofunexpectedeconomiccircumstances.

Morebroadly,theUniversityofSydneynotesthatthereisamissinggovernanceelementintheoverallresearchinfrastructurelandscape.Whilstwerecognisethatdifferentresearchfacilitiesmayneeddifferentgovernancemodels,rangingfromincorporatedthroughtounincorporatedentities,therecurrentlyisnometa-structureattheprogramleveltoassess,evaluateoradviseontheperformanceoffacilitygovernanceand,whennecessary,guideinvestmentanddis-investmentinparticularareas.TheUniversityofSydneyisoftheviewthataseriouscommitmenttonationalresearchinfrastructurenecessarilyentailsaseriouscommitmenttonationalprogramgovernance.Moreover,ourviewisthatnationalresearchinfrastructureisamatterofnationalsignificance.Thelongstandingpatternofad-hocapproachestonationalresearchinfrastructureplanningisdetrimentaltothecauseandoughttocease.OverallauthorityfornationalresearchinfrastructureplanningandimplementationshouldbegiventoaproperlyestablishedindependentCommonwealthentitythatisstrategic,ongoing,consistent,andalignedtothenationalinterest.Itourviewthatnosuchorganisationcurrentlyexists.

Question3: Shouldnationalresearchinfrastructureinvestmentassistwithaccesstointernationalfacilities?

Yes,undoubtedlyresearchinfrastructureinvestmentshouldincludeaccesstoleadinginternationalfacilities.Insomecircumstances,thisoughtalsotofacilitateAustralianco-fundingofmulti-nationalresearchfacilities.ItisnoteworthythatthesuccessfulAccesstoMajorResearchFacilitiesProgram(AMRFP)formerlyprovidedtravelfundingonacompetitivebasisforteamsofuptothreeresearcherstoperformexperimentsatworld-leadingfacilitiessuchastelescopes,nuclearfacilities,andX-raysynchrotronstowhichtheyhadbeengrantedfreeaccessviaaninternationalpeer-reviewsystem.TheAMRFPdeliveredhighscientificreturnsinareasasdiverseasbiology,chemistry,physics,astronomy,earthsciences,materialsscienceandengineering,medicineandculturalheritage.This‘suitcasescience’alsoservedasan

innovationplatform:forexample,solvingthestructureoftheinfluenzavirusbyAustralianresearcherswasthecriticalpre-cursortothedevelopmentthedrugRelenzawhichwaslicensedtoGlaxoSmithKline.

Thedecisiontode-fundtheAMRFPwasunfortunatebecausetherearenumerousresearchinfrastructureinitiativesacrosstheglobethatAustralianresearchersshouldhaveaccesstosoastoadvancetheirresearchprograms.TheUniversityofSydneyisoftheviewthatanewTravelandAccessProgram(TAP)thatcoversbothnationalandinternationalfacilityaccessshouldbeakeycomponentoffutureresearchinfrastructureinvestments.OperatedbyanindependentpeakauthorityforAustralia’snationalresearchinfrastructure,thisprogramwouldenableAustraliansresearchersfromacademiaandindustrytoaccesstheworld’sbestresearchfacilitiesacrossSTEMandHASSdisciplines,andwouldbestructuredtoserveasacost-effectivesolutiontoenablecollaboration,discoveryandinnovation.

Question4: Whataretheconditionsorscenarioswhereaccesstointernationalfacilitiesshouldbeprioritisedoverdevelopingnationalfacilities?

TheUniversityofSydneyanticipatessuchscenarios,including:

• wherethereiscutting-edgeresearchexpertiseinAustraliabutthesizeoftheresearchcommunityisnotlargeenoughtojustifyexpenditureinalocalfacility.Thiswouldlikelyincludescenariosinvolvingaccesstospecialisedcapabilitiesinastronomy,spacescience,X-raysynchrotronradiationandneutronsourceswhereAustraliahasconsiderableexpertisebutcannotfeasiblycoverallofthecutting-edgeexperimentalcapabilitiesavailable;

• wherethecostoftheresearchfacilitiesisprohibitivelyhighsuchthat,regardlessofthesizeoftheAustraliancommunity,anoverseas-basedmulti-nationalconsortiumapproachtofacilitiespredominatesthefield(e.g.CERN,orITER).

• Instanceswhereforgeophysical,environmentorotherfactorsanothercountryisbetterplacedtolocatesuchinfrastructure(e.g.SouthPoleTelescope)

Question5: Shouldresearchworkforceskillsbeconsideredaresearchinfrastructureissue?

Yes,workforceskillsareacentralissueinresearchinfrastructureplanning.Moreover,workforceskillsneedtobeaddressedfromawhole-of-careerviewpointsoastomaximisethesocial,economic,scientificandtechnologicalimpactofnationalresearchinfrastructure.Issuesaroundrecruitment,training,retentionandcareerprogressionforresearchfacilitystaffareinter-dependent.Itisourviewthatsophisticated,newgenerationresearchequipmentisrarelyusedinaneffectiveorefficientmannerwhendedicatedtechnicalspecialistsareunavailabletoprovideuser-supportandtraining.Inessence,thisissueiscentraltoanationalresearchinfrastructureplanachievingthebestpossibleoutcome.Someprogressinthefosteringofthisculturehasalreadybeenachieved,andlong-termfundingstabilitywilladdressfurtherissuesinthisarea.

Forexample,theTerrestrialEcosystemResearchNetwork(TERN)hascatalysedthedevelopmentofcollaborativenetworksofskilledresearchers,andthesenetworksarenowakeycomponentofthisresearchinfrastructure.ThisisalsotruefortheANFF.AnessentialelementoftheNationalImagingFacility(NIF)andonethathasbeenidentifiedineverysurveyofeffectivenessofNCRIS,istheexpertiseofferedthroughtheImagingFacilityFellowsandInformaticsFellows.Inadditiontothevaluetheyaddtotheinfrastructureattheinstitution/nodelevel,theyprovideamechanismfortransferofskillsandtechnologyacrossnodesandensuretrainingofthenextgenerationofinstrumentscientistsinawiderangeof

technologies.TheAustralianMicroscopy&MicroanalysisResearchFacility(AMMRF)haspioneeredprogramsforfacilitystaffexchangeandskillsdevelopment,creatingdynamicnationalcohortsofexpertise.Ourviewisthatthesesortsofmodelsforworkforceskilldevelopmenthavebeenshowntobeeffectiveandarethefoundationforfuturesuccess.

Question6: Howcannationalresearchinfrastructureassistintrainingandskillsdevelopment?

WeconsiderthatnationalresearchinfrastructurecanfacilitatetrainingandskillsdevelopmentacrossdifferentsectionsoftheR&Dlandscape:

• Industry:astrongnationalresearchinfrastructurelandscapeisessentialforAustralia’sindustrialprosperityasoureconomybroadens,evolves,andtransitionstowardsonethatismoreadvancedandinnovation-based.Accesstostate-of-the-artresearchinfrastructureforAustralianindustry,particularlystart-upoperationsandSMEs,willfacilitateskillsdevelopmentandnecessarilybepartofthetransitionprocessforoureconomy.OurviewatTheUniversityofSydneyisthattherearefledglingsuccessstoriesinthisareaacrosstheNCRISportfolio,particularlyintheAMMRFandANFF,butthatmorecouldbedonetofacilitatethisengagementacrossthebroaderresearchfacilitybase.

• Researchers:afundamentalroleofnationalresearchinfrastructureistocreatearesearchworkforcethatistrainedandskilledsoastoenablethemtodiscoverandharnessnewideas.Severalexamplesofthisarealreadyworkingwell.Inastronomy,theNCRIS-supportedtelescopesprovideaneffectiveandwell-establishedopportunityfortrainingandskillsdevelopmentforstudentsandearlycareerresearchers.Forinstance,overone-thirdofAustralianusersofthesefacilitiesin2014/15werestudents.Suchtrainingandskillsprogramsmustcontinuetobesupportedunderfuturenationalresearchinfrastructureprograms,especiallyasthemorecomplexnext-generationfacilitiesbecomeoperational.Nationalresearchinfrastructureprovidesanidealplatformtounderpinhighqualitypostgraduateandpostdoctoralresearchtrainingandskillsdevelopment.Itachievesthisthroughthequalityofthephysicalinfrastructure,thequalityofthescientistssupportingtheinfrastructure,andbyfacilitatingnationalcoordinationthroughappropriatenetworkingandgovernance.TheAMMRF,ANFF,NIF,TERNandtheNCIallhaveexcellentcompanionnarrativestothis.Thesearethebuildingblocksofanationalinnovationcapability.

• Researchfacilitystaff:Anexcellentnationalcohortofresearchfacilitystaff—thatarehighlyskilledinfacilitatingtheconversionoftheenormousresearchpotentialofournationalresearchinfrastructureintooutstandingresearchoutcomesfortheresearchusercommunities—mustbeafundamentalgoalofthisprogram.

• Schoolsandthewidercommunity:BearinginmindAustralia’sneedtoenhanceourSTEMcapabilityinthedecadesahead,aswellasenhancingparticulartypesofcreativethinkingacrosstheHASSdisciplinesthatengagewithissuesofcomplexityandproblemsolvingaroundpeopleandcommunities,weconsiderthatoutreachprogramsshouldberesourcedaspartofthenationalresearchinfrastructureprogram.OurpeaknationalresearchfacilitiescancontributesignificantlytointerestinSTEMand,moregenerally,enhancethequantitativecompetenciesofoursociety.

Wewishtohighlightaparticularopportunityandaparticularchallengeareainthetrainingandskillsarea:

• ThestunningsuccessoftheAMMRF’sMyScopeonlinetrainingresourcehasresonatedinternationally.Morebroadly,webelievethatAustralia’snationalresearchfacilitiescouldbe

positionedtoassumeleadershipinthedevelopmentofonlinetrainingtools,andthattheremayexistsomeopportunitiestomonetisetheseviapoint-of-useorsponsorshipmechanisms.

• ThereexistsagrowinggapintheskillsandtrainingaroundtheuseoftheavailableeResearchinfrastructureincertainresearchcommunities,particularlyinthearts,humanitiesandsocialsciences.Thislimitstheextenttowhichresearcherscanexploittheavailabledataandcomputingresources.Moreinvestmentindiscipline-focusedinitiativeswouldenabletheseresearchcommunitiestobetteraccesstheinnovativetoolsandfacilitiesneededtotacklewithcreativitythedata-intensiveprojectsandresearchchallengesofthefuture.

Question7: Whatresponsibilityshouldresearchinstitutionshaveinsupportingthedevelopmentofinfrastructurereadyresearchersandtechnicalspecialists?

Werecognisethatinstitutionshaveimportantresponsibilitiesinthisspace.Justhowtheseresponsibilitiesaresharedwithnationalresearchinfrastructureinitiativeswilldependonthefundingmodels,governancestructures,andpolicynuances.Weconsiderthatapressingissueforthesectoristhedevelopmentofcareerpathsforspecialisttechnicalstaffofresearchfacilities.Predictable,long-termfundingisessentialforemploymentsecurityandretentionofthesestaffwhofundamentallyunderpinournationalresearchinfrastructure.Uncertaintyinoperationalfundingremainsakeyriskforthesuccessofmanyofourmostprominentnationalresearchinfrastructureinitiatives.Asthelikelyhostorganisationformanyofthesestaff,itisclearthatinstitutionsmustplayaroleinsupportinganddevelopingtheircareers.Howthisresponsibilityissharedmorebroadlyisakeyquestion.Thefactremainsthatnationalresearchfacilitiesthatarehostedinresearch-intensiveUniversitiescontributesignificantlytothenationalresearchtrainingcapacity.

Weconsiderthatthereareparticularopportunitiesandresponsibilitiesforinstitutionstoproduceinfrastructure-readyresearchers.Institutionsareuniquelypositionedtoprovideavarietyofinitiativestoensuretheadvancedutilisationofnationalresearchinfrastructure.Thesecouldincludethealignmentofcertainacademicstaffappointments,theestablishmentofspecificresearchcentres,andearmarkingaquantaofresearchscholarshipsorfellowshipswithleadingedgenationalresearchinfrastructure.

Question8: Whatprinciplesshouldbeappliedforaccesstonationalresearchinfrastructure,andaretheresituationswhentheseshouldnotapply?

Werecommendthatthefollowingconsiderationsbeusedtoshapetheaccessprinciplesfornationalresearchinfrastructure:

• majornationalinfrastructureshouldservetheentirenationalresearchsystemandnotonlythoseinstitutionsthatarefinanciallyorgeographicallylinkedtoafacility.Distributed,node-likeorganisationalstructurescancontributepositivelytothisprinciple;

• transparency,clarityandflexibilityinaccesspoliciesistobepromoted;• merit-basedusersoughttoexperienceasfewbarriersaspossibletoaccess;and• industrymustbeencouragedtoaccessfacilities.Practicesshouldbeinitiatedtoprovidevisibilityof

thenationalresearchinfrastructuretocompaniesviaengagementwithindustryassociationsandsectorrepresentativebodies,includingindustrygrowthcentres.

Werecognisethatthequestionofuserfeesisinextricablylinkedtothequestionofaccess.Thereisnowasubstantialbodyofevidencewhichdemonstratesthatresearchfacilities,ofandbythemselves,cannotbeprofit-generatingoperations(orevenrevenueneutral).Theyareacostcentreinthenationalinnovationsystemandassuch,accesswillnecessarilyrequiresubstantialsubsidisation.Feestructuresmustbeappropriatelybalancedsoastobehighenoughthatresearchersusethesevaluablefacilitiesefficiently,butlowenoughsoastoavoidoverlyrestrictingaccessandputtingourinnovationsystematacompetitivedisadvantagerelativetoothereconomieswhohavehigherlevelsofR&Dinvestment.Theaboveprinciplesaroundtransparencyandflexibilityneedtobereflectedinfee-chargingmodels.

AttheUniversityofSydney,weconsiderthatspecialconsiderationshouldapplytotheaccessandchargingpoliciesofnationalresearchfacilitiesforindustry-basedusers.Weconsiderthatmuchofthecurrentpracticeseemstobeoverlysimple:chargeashighaspossibletoaratherlimitedindustrycustomerbase.Amoresophisticatedapproachcouldbeexploredwherebyaparticularlevelofsubsidisedaccesstoinnovativestart-upsandSMEscouldbeappliedinordertoencourageaccessbyresearchersbasedinresource-poorearlystagecompanies.

Itisreasonablethatthesevariousprinciplesmightnotapplyinthesamemannerunderthescenariosofanationalemergency,anunexpectedparadigm-changingscientificbreakthrough,ortherapidonsetofunexpectedeconomiccircumstances.

Question9: Whatshouldthecriteriaandfundingarrangementsfordefundingordecommissioninglooklike?

Inanerawhenthenatureofresearchandinnovationhaveneverbeenchangingmorerapidly,itisunderstandablethatcertainfacilitiesmaybecomeoutdated.Theprocessessummarisedintheissuespaperarereasonableandtheneedforappropriatetimeframesarounddefunding/decommissioningiscritical.Wewoulddrawparticularattentiontotherisksaroundstaffseveranceliabilitiesandconsiderthatthesemustbeproperlyplannedforandresourcedsothatinitialfacilitypartnergoodwillisnotdiminished.Inadditiontothechallengesaroundthedecommissioningofequipment,wealsowishtoaddtheneedforpropertechnologicalandethicalprocessesaroundthedisposal,archivingoropeningupoftheresearchdataassociatedwithdefundedfacilities.

Question10: WhatfinancingmodelsshouldtheGovernmentconsidertosupportinvestmentinnationalresearchinfrastructure?

Werecommendtheuseoftransparent,flexiblemodelsforco-investmentthatachieveproperfinancingofnationalresearchinfrastructure.FinancingofAustralia’speakresearchfacilitiesmustberobustandcomprehensive.Thenotionofapoorly-fundedorunder-supportednationalresearchfacilitiesmustbeavoidedandprinciplesaroundwhatconstitutesfull-funding,business-as-usualfundingandsoonareimportantfactorsthatneedtobeclearlyarticulatedattheoutset.Theco-investmentachievedintheNCRISprogramhasbeenagreatsuccessinmanydomains,andappearsconsistentwiththeprinciplessetoutintheissuespaper.Stategovernments,publicly-fundedresearchagencies,universitiesandstategovernmentsareallexamplesoforganisationsthathavecontributedsignificantlytotheexistingnationalresearchinfrastructurelandscape.Processestobettersynchronisethiscycleofinvestmentandtheassociatedreportingbytheseorganisationsoughttobedeveloped.

Weconsiderthatfinancialmodelshaveaseminalinfluenceonthestructureoffacilities,andsubsequentthedevelopmentofresearchcapability.Forexample,akeyandsuccessfulfeatureoftheAustralianresearchinfrastructurelandscapeistheleverageachievedfromthepatientcapitalofthefederalgovernmentbythatofpartnerorganisations,resultinginanumberofsuccessfulnational‘grid’-stylefacilitiessuchastheAMMRF,ANFF,NIF,IMOSandothers.Ongoinginvestmentfromthefederalgovernmentasthe“foundationinvestor”providestheconfidenceforfundingtoflowfromotherstakeholders.Thedis-benefitanalysishereistelling:withoutfederalgovernmentinvolvement,potentialco-funderssuchasuniversitiesarelikelytoabandonnationalfacilityinitiatives,leavingmanyAustralianresearcherswithoutaccesstosuitableresearchinfrastructure,withaparticularriskfornon-partnerinstitutionswhomaybereliantonthenationalcapability.Moreover,competitionbetweeninstitutionswilldriveunnecessaryduplicationofinfrastructureandresultindilutedinvestmentsthatfailtorealisethefullcapacityofthetechnologyandultimatelyalbeitindirectlycreatereducedvaluetothepublicpurse.Viewedinthisway,theleverageachievedfromthefoundationalinvestmentbythefederalgovernmentinestablishingandoperatingourdistributednationalresearchfacilitiesistrulyexcellent.

Question11: Whenshouldcapabilitiesbeexpectedtoaddressstandardandaccreditationrequirements?

Standardsandaccreditationrequirementmustbeexaminedonacase-by-casebasis.Whereasinsomesituations,usersofresearchfacilitiesmustundertakeentirelybespokeexperiments,othersituationsmayrequirestandardisation.Wherestandardisationaddsvaluetotheresearchoutput,orbroadensthepotentialcommunityofusers,includingthepotentialforindustrialusersand/orcommercialparticipationinsomeform,thenitdoescertainlywarrantconsideration.Itmustbenotedthataccreditationorcertificationwillrequireextracostsassociatedwiththesetupandmaintenanceofaqualitymanagementsystem.

Thecaseofstandardsisparticularlyimportantintheareaofdatacollectionandpublication,andespeciallyinthecontextofcredibledeliverytousers.Here,itmustberecognisedthatnationalresearchfacilitieswillplayakeyroleinshapingthenatureofdatastandardsandtheriseofthehierarchicaldataformatisanexamplethatisbringingresearchcommunitiestogetherandenablingcollaborationthatwouldotherwisebeimpossible.

Question12: Arethereinternationalorglobalmodelsthatrepresentbestpracticefornationalresearchinfrastructurethatcouldbeconsidered?

Thereexistsasubstantialbodyofliteratureonthegeneralriseinimportanceofnationalresearchfacilities,andmuchmaterialavailableonspecificaccesspoliciesforspecificfacilities.However,weproposethatfeaturessalienttotheAustralianscenecouldbecollatedviaacommissionedliteraturereviewonthemanagementandgovernanceofpeaknationalresearchfacilities.Wewouldclaimthatthetaxonomyofresearchfacilitiesandtheprinciplesbywhichexcellenceisfosteredinfacilitiesofvarioussizeandscopeiscurrentlynotavailable,andwouldbeaworthyundertaking.

Undoubtedly,therelikelyremainaspectsofbest-practicethatareinplaceoverseasthathaveyettobeimplementedinAustralia.Therearemajorpan-European,AmericanandAsianinitiativesvariouslyintheareasofPrecisionAgriculture,PrecisionMedicine,Robotics,BigData,Materials,andvariousGenometypeinitiatives,Environmentalsensing,Spacescience,andmore,thatrequirecarefulstudy.Whilstweneedto

remainalerttotheadoptionofpracticedevelopedelsewhere,theparticularitiesoftheAustralianresearchlandscapeandournationalobjectivesneedtobeconsideredcarefullybeforeimplementation.Moreover,examplesofAustralianresearchfacilitymanagementthathavebeenadoptedoverseasshouldberecognisedasmodelsforcloserexamination.TheAMMRFhavedevelopedanexcellentmodelforopenaccesstonationalresearchinfrastructurewithafive-yearrollingstrategicplanforacquisitionanddistributionofnewlydevelopedhigh-endequipmentinanationalnetworkofcollaborativenodes.TheEUHorizon2020initiativesEuroBioImagingandGlobalBioImaging(http://www.eurobioimaging.eu)openlyacknowledgedthattheyarebasedontheAMMRFmodel.PreviousNCRISinvestmentinTERNhasenabledAustraliatobecomeaninternationally-recognisedleaderinterrestrialecosystemobservation.InthewordsofProfDavidSchimel(NASAJPL,USA)“TERNishelpingtobringaboutaparadigmshiftinthewayecosystemscienceandmanagementisdoneinAustralia…Therestoftheworldiswatchingandhopingtolearn.”

Question13: Inconsideringwholeoflifeinvestmentincludingdecommissioningordefundingfornationalresearchinfrastructurearethereexamplesdomesticorinternationalthatshouldbeexamined?

WerecognisethedifficultyoftheseprocessesandpointtotheprotocolsthattheCRCProgramandtheARChavedevelopedinrelationtotheshut-downarrangementsfortheircentres.

Question14: Aretherealternativefinancingoptions,includinginternationalmodelsthattheGovernmentcouldconsidertosupportinvestmentinnationalresearchinfrastructure?

Itisunlikelythatthereismechanismbywhichthecapitalinvestmentandbasicoperationalcostsfornationalresearchfacilitiescanbefinancedotherthanbytargetedgovernmentinitiatives.However,wedoconsiderthatthereexistssignificantopportunityforenhancedcoordinationbetweenNCRISandrelatedCommonwealth-fundedschemesfromtheARC,NHMRC,theCRCprogram,andotherssoastomaximisethebenefitsforall.Thisisparticularlyrelevanttothemodeloffinancingfacilityoperations.Modelsbywhichtheseagenciesallocatecreditstoresearchersthatcanbetakenupinthenation’speakresearchfacilitieswouldbehelpful,aswouldcross-promotionofthesefacilitiestowould-beapplicants.Furthermore,successinnationalcompetitivegrantschemesshouldbeusedasameasureofacademicmeritintheaccesspoliciesofNCRISandrelatedfacilities.

HealthandMedicalSciences

Question15: AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforHealthandMedicalSciencesright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

Yes—cryo-electronmicroscopyisanessentialinclusioninthediscussionaroundemergingdirectionsforbiomedicalresearchinfrastructure.Thistechnologyissettoenablegroundbreakingresearchdiscoveriesinthehealthandmedicalsciences.RecentcommentaryinthejournalNaturedescribestheimpactofthenew-generationcryo-electronmicroscopyasrevolutionary1,describingsingleparticlecryo-tomographyas

1E.Callaway,“Therevolutionwillnotbecrystallized:anewmethodsweepsthroughstructuralbiology”,525,172-174(2015).

themostsignificantdevelopmentforstructuralbiologysinceX-raycrystallography.NatureMethodsidentifieditas‘techniqueoftheyear’in2015.Recenthardwareandsoftwarebreakthroughsenablecryo-electronmicroscopytonowrevealthehiddenmachineryofthecellwithunprecedented,nearatomicresolution.Thisprovidesinformationabouthowmoleculesinvolvedindiseasemightbetargetedwithstrategicallydesigneddrugs.Inthecomingdecade,researchersacrossAustraliawillrequireincreasingaccesstotheseadvancedtechniques,whichrequirenotjust“aninstrument”,butanumberofmachinessupportedbyanationalinfrastructureecosystemthatprovidesend-to-endsolutionsacrossthecycleofthesecomplexexperimentsthatcouldspanbio-bankingthroughtoadvancedvisualisationandbioinformatics.

WeagreethatnewtracerdevelopmentsforPETanalysisandsupportforthedevelopmentofbetterintegrationandstandardizationoffacilitiesrepresentsasignificantgapforbiomedicalimaging.Imaginginstrumentationisevolvingrapidlyandthelimitsofsensitivityandspatialresolutionareparadigmchanging.Thecapabilitytoacquirewholebodytracerkineticsat40timeshighersensitivity(and40xlowerdose)thancurrentPETtechnologywillarrivewithinthenextfiveyears.

WeareoftheviewthattheemergenceofcompactlightsourcesthatenabletheeffectiveoperationofaX-raysynchrotroninalaboratoryissomethingthatAustraliamustplanfor.UsinglaserundulationofelectronssoastogenerateX-radiationthatisintenseandbrightisenablingthegenerationofexquisitelydetailedimagesofsofttissueatacostandscalethatmakesclinicalapplicationsofsynchrotrontechniquespractical.Improvingournation'shealththroughbetterunderstandingofdisease,moreeffectivedrugdevelopment,andtheenablingofclinicalapplicationsofemergingnewtechniquesforbiologicalimagingwillhavedistinctlypositiveeffectsonAustralia’shealtheconomics.

TheacademicandindustrialopportunitiesarisingfromAustralianorganisationsactingasgenuinelyfast-followersinnewtechnologiessuchaswholebodyPET,andcompactlightsourcetechnology,wheretheremightberelativelyfewsuchunitsworldwide,isverysignificant.Bearinginmindthelargeup-frontcosts(e.g.~$20M),andtheoperationalcomplexity,weconsiderthatthissortofinitiativerequiresaprecinct-typeapproachwherecross-disciplinaryresearchexcellenceismatchedwithaccesstowell-characterisedpatients,animalmodelsandthefullrangeofrelatedtranslationalimaginginfrastructureandexpertise.ThestrengthoftheprecinctavailableviapartnershipbetweentheUniversityofSydney,theNHMRCClinicalTrialsCentre,ANSTOandtheRoyalPrinceAlfredHospitalrepresentsanexceptionalopportunitytobringAustralianbiomedicalimagingresearchcapabilitytotheveryforefrontandmightrepresentaflagshipinitiativeoftheNIF.

Question16: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

WerecommendparticipatinginGlobalBioimaging,aninternationalnetworkofcollaboratinginfrastructuresinbiologicalandbiomedicalimagingforlifescientistssupportedbytheEUHorizon2020program.Itsgoalistoestablishasustainablenetworkofinternationalinfrastructurepartnerstoallowcommonaccessprogramstotheirservicesandtheexchangeofbestpractice.Facilitieswillbecomeinteroperablewithotherinternationalimaginginfrastructuresintheiruserservicesbystandardisationand

harmonisationofaccessprotocols,methods,trainingprogramsaswellasimagedataformats,analysissoftwareandmanagement.TheAMMRFandtheNIFarethefoundingpartnersofthisinitiative.

ThereisanopportunityforAustralianresearcherstobeattheforefrontofthenextfrontierofimagingtechnologydevelopmentsbyjoiningtheEXPLORERconsortium(http://explorer.ucdavis.edu).ThisUSledconsortiumisdevelopinganewgenerationofPETtechnologycapableofsimultaneouslyacquiringtracerkineticsfromalltissuesofthebodyatverylowdosesofionizingradiation(<0.2mSv).Thistechnologywillenablemulti-disciplinaryresearchteamstoaddressmajorhealthchallengessuchasdiabetes,mentalillnessandothercomplexmulti-organdiseaseswhichrequireasystemsbiologicalapproach.Becauseofthelowradiationdose,itwillalsoopenupPETresearchtonewcohorts,suchaspregnantwomen,childrenandprodromalsubjects.

TheUniversityofSydneyalsoconsidersthatitisessentialtohaveanationalfacilitysuchasANZCTR(http://www.anzctr.org.au/)operatinginAustraliasothatAustraliacontributesimportantdatatotheWorldHealthOrganisation’sInternationalClinicalTrialsRegistryPlatform(WHOICTRP)(http://www.who.int/ictrp/en/).ANZCTRisoneofonly15trialregistriesglobally.EachofthesegovernmentfundedregistriesservesaparticulargeographicalregionandensurestheglobalcoverageoftheWHOICTRPnetworkofregistries.

Question17: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheHealthandMedicalSciencescapabilityarea?

Yes:healthareasofinterestsuchasvectors,pathogens,andaerobiologycouldbesupportedbyinvestmentinarangeofenvironmentalmonitoringinfrastructure.Givenpotentialsynergiesinsomeareas,harmonisationofdatainfrastructurebetweentheCapabilityFocusAreasofHealthandEnvironmentwouldbedesirable.Inthesamewaythatvibrationalspectroscopyisanareathatissupra-criticaltoserveasanationalplatformsuchthatthecostofnotdoingsoexceedsthecostsofoperatinganationalfacilitynetwork,werecommendtheestablishmentofanationalcellcytometryandmassspectrometryfacilitiesascriticalenablersofaprecisionmedicineagenda.Moreover,ourviewisthatasimilarargumentcouldbemountedinsupportoftheNMRtechnique.

Overthenext10years,Australia’snationalresearchinfrastructurewillplayanimportantroleinsupportingthegoalsoftheMedicalResearchFutureFund(MRFF).Animportantexampleisaccesstoadvancedimagingtechnologies,suchaswholebodyPET,cryo-EM,andcompactlightsourcesthatwillenableMRFF-fundedteamstoevaluatetheirpotentialtoimprovehealthoutcomesandlowercoststhroughearlydiagnosisandintervention,aswellaspersonalisedandtargetedtherapies.Thereissolidevidencethatsuchinvestmentsleadtosignificanthealthcaresavingsinthelongterm.Forexample,whenPETtechnologywasfirstintroducedtoAustraliainthe1990sitwasconsideredanexpensivetechnology.However,itwassubsequentlyshowntosignificantlyreducetheoverallcostofcancercarewhileimprovingpatientoutcomesby(a)detectingdistantdiseaseand,thus,avoidingcostlysurgeryforpatientswhoultimatelyreceivenobenefitand(b)switchingpatientsfromineffectivedrugsearlyinthecourseoftreatmenttomoreeffectivedrugs(Bucketal,JournalofNuclearMedicineTechnology,51(3):401-412,2010).Weanticipatesimilareconomicgainsinrelationtocomplexmulti-organdiseases,suchasdiabetesandmentalillness,thatrepresentasignificantdrainontheeconomyduetodisabilityandlossofearningpotential.StrategicinvestmentsinnationalinfrastructureandtheMRFFwillprovideanswerstotheseimportantquestionsanddeliverlong-termsavingsinthehealthcaresystemandthebroadereconomy.Fromthe

viewpointofnationalhealtheconomics,wemightaskwhetherwecanaffordnottoinvestinfrontiertechnologiessuchasadvancedPETandcryo-EMwithinthenextseveralyears.

EnvironmentandNaturalResourceManagement

Question18: AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforEnvironmentandNaturalResourceManagementright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

WeconsiderthattherearecriticalgapsinthecurrentNCRISinvestment,andthatthesegapswerereflectedintheIssuespaper.Eachrepresentsasignificantscientificandeconomicopportunity.

• SpaceResearchanditsEarthApplications:weadvocateforthedevelopmentofaresearchcapabilityforbuildingflexible,long-term,sustainable,near-EarthCubesats,operatinginlowaltitude(300–1000km)multi-generationconstellationswithleading-edgesensor-web,networkedcapabilitiesinEOS/GPS,spacetechnology,spacesituationalawareness(SSA)andspaceweather.WesuggestthatinvestmentinthiscapabilitymaywellfeatureasacriticalstepinthenucleationofasuccessfulAustralianspaceindustry.

• DigitalAgriculture:weadvocateforthedevelopmentofaresearchcapabilitythatisfocussedoncapturing,sharingandconnectingresearcherswithdataforincreasingagriculturalproductivityandincentivisingfarmerstosharedatawithnationalinfrastructureproviders.Thiswillprimarilyincludedataonsoils,foodandfeedcrops,andtheirgenetics,yields,spatialandtemporalcoverageofcropsinthelandscape,andwateravailabilityanduse.WesuggestthatthiscouldbebuiltonNCIandeResearchhardware.Thesocialandeconomicimpactofsuchacapabilitywouldlikelybeveryhigh.

• DataTranslationorKnowledgeasaService(KaaS):weadvocatefortheestablishmentofanewcapabilitythatisfocussedontheapplicationofmodernmachinelearninganddatasciencetoolstoenablethetransformationofdataintodiscoveryinAustralia’snationalresearchfacilities.ThiscapabilitywouldenablescientiststoconnectwithallAustralianandinternationaldata,andtodevelopexplorationanddiscoveryapplications.

Finally,wenotethattoolsforhighprecisionisotopicanalysisofmineralshaveevolvedsignificantlyinrecentyearsandareessentialtounderstandingthemineralisationprocessesthatdriveAustralia’sresourcesindustry.Asanexample,ourgeologistsrequireaccesstonew-generationsecondaryionmassspectroscopy(SIMS)toremaincompetitiveandrelevantintheirfield.Inparticular,theuseofnewionsourceswithanorder-of-magnitudeincreaseinbrightnesspromisemassiveimprovementsinlateralresolutionwithnodecreaseinsensitivity.Thiswillbeofparticularusefordatingzirconsbyanalysisofoxygenisotopesandformeasuringsulphurisotopesinsulphideminerals.Bothofthesearekeytodevelopingourunderstandingofthegeophysicalprocessesthatunderpininnovationanddevelopmentintheresourcesindustry.Forexample,theseimprovementswillbringimprovedefficienciesinmineralexplorationlocallyandglobally.ItwillalsocontributetoworkinnuclearsafeguardingwiththeInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA).

Question19: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

WeconsiderthatdeliveringAustralianresearcherscontinuedandpersistentaccesstodataandservicesiskeytoensuringwehaveaccesstotheinformationtomakethenextbigdiscoveries.Australianresearchershavegoodcollaborativelinkswithinternationalspaceagencies(NASA,ESA,JAXA),weatherandclimategroupsandagriculturalresearchagenciesincludingtheUNandUSFAOonfoodsecurity.Astructuredframeworkfortheserelationshipsisurgentlyneeded.Morespecifically,werecommendengagementwiththefollowinginternationalprojects:

1. TheGlobalSoilMapproject(http://www.globalsoilmap.net/)isworkingonprojectstoextendthecurrentmappingstrategydowntohigherresolutions;thecurrentinternationaltargetis30m.CouplingthesoilalgorithmswithremotesensingsuchasLandsatandSentinel.

2. ARCITTCFoodSafetyinFreshProducehasanumberofprojectslookingattherelationshipbetweenchallengesfacedbyourfoodindustryandclimate,transportandsafetyconcerns.

3. TheEuropeanUnionsHorizon2020programmewillspawnanumberforprojectssuchas“Foodwatchfromspace”,“MonitoringSoilMoistureforOptimisedIrrigation”,“SustainableForestryManagement”andmore.http://www.copernicus.eu/main/agriculture-forestry-and-fisheries

4. POLARIS:A30-meterprobabilisticsoilseries.(UniversityofNebraska,Princeton,TheUniversityofSydney,USANationalSoilSurveyCenter).

Question20: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheEnvironmentandNaturalResourceManagementcapabilityarea?

WeconcurwiththeissuespaperthattherearegapsinournationalcoverageofAustralianecosystems,andproposethatthesearewiderthanthethreeidentifiedareas(arid,alpine,tropical).Weconsiderthatthereisaneedforanoverarchingmeta-structureinthisspace,thatprovidesstrategicoversightofandenablescollaborationbetweendevelopmentsintheterrestrial,coastal,underwater,atmosphericandspaceenvironments.Werecognisethedistinctvalue,methodologiesandcommunitiesthatthesecapabilitiesrepresentandurgeagainstasimpleaggregation.Thereisaneedforgreatercoordinationacrossthesecapabilities.WesuggestthatthiscouldbedoneviaastrategicgovernancecouncilthatcoordinatesfundingandtargetsforgroupssuchasIMOS,TERN,AusScopeandpartsofBioPlatformsAustralia.

WealsowishtopointoutthatAustralia’s5.9millionkm2AntarcticTerritoryisapproximatelysimilarinareatomainlandAustralia(minusQueensland)andisofincreasingstrategicimportancetoournation.Itsterrestrialecosystems,andhowtheyarechangingovertime,representasizeablegap–andopportunity–inAustralia’scurrentandfutureenvironmentandnaturalresourcemanagementcapability.Australianspacescienceandtechnologywouldlikelybeoneofanumberofopportunitiesthatthisprioritisationwouldopenup.

Finally,weareconcernedthatthereisconsiderableunrecognisedscopewithintheEnvironment&NaturalResourceManagementcapabilityfocusareaforthecreationofjobsandeconomicgrowth.ExamplesincludethedevelopmentofanAustralianspaceprogramandaspaceindustry,superiorperformanceoftheagriculturesector,andinformatics-relatedindustries,allofwhichcoulddrivenewjobcreation.

AdvancedPhysics,Chemistry,MathematicsandMaterials

Question21: AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforAdvancedPhysics,Chemistry,MathematicsandMaterialsright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

Atomicscalemicroscopyisanessentialtechnologyformaterials,nanotechnology,engineeringandchemicalresearch.Asweendeavourincreasinglyto“engineer”materialsattheatomicscale,materialsdesignincreasinglyrequiresknowingpreciselywhichatomsarewhere,andhowtheyarebonded.Recentbreakthroughsinthetechnologyforaberration-correctionelectronmicroscopesandatomprobetomographyarebeginningtoyieldatomic-scalestructure-functionrelationships.Anincreasinglybroadrangeofresearchersacrossthecountrywilldependonaccesstoatomicscalemicroscopytechnologyinthedecadeahead.ForAustralianresearchanddevelopmenttobecompetitive,thiswillrequirenotonlyresourcingthisexpensiveandcomplexinstrumentation,butalsotheassociatedtechnicalsupport,samplepreparationandinformaticsresourcesthatareessentialforeffectiveworkflows.Atstakeisourcapacitytodevelopandmanufacturenewhigh-valuematerialsforindustriesrangingfromelectronics,photonics,spacetechnology,chemicalprocessing,metallurgicalprocessingandmining.High-endaberrationcorrectedelectronmicroscopesandatomprobesareexpensive,andrequireagreatdealofsupportinginfrastructure.Itisimpracticalforinstitutionstoreplicatethem.Asdescribedaboveforcryo-electronmicroscopy,theAMMRFhavedevelopedaplantohostanationalatomic-scalemicroscopycapabilityconsistingofagridofstrategically-locatedhigh-endopen-accessfacilitiessupportedbymid-rangeinstrumentsinawiderrangeoflocations.TheUniversityofSydneyendorsesthisapproach.

Weconsiderthatvibrationalspectroscopyisnowahighlyadvancedcharacterisationtechniquethatwouldservethenationalinterestbetterifstructuredasanationallycoordinatedplatform.Advancesinvibrationalspectroscopyaresuchthattherearenowextensiveuser-communitiesthatspanacrossthefieldsofmedicine,agriculture,mining,museums,artgalleries,advancedmanufacturingandthepharmaceuticalindustry.Anationalresearchfacilityinvibrationalspectroscopywouldeffectivelydriveinnovationinthearea.Thisisafieldwhereinthereisrapidmethodologicalinnovationandtechnologyadvancements,andthemulti-milliondollarhigh-endinstrumentsrequiredbyAustralianresearchersareatriskofbeingdifficultorimpossibletoattainandsupportinanationalstrategicframework.TheUniversityofSydneyadvocatestheestablishmentofanewnationalplatforminthisareaandarguesthattheprimarydriverforthisisthecapacityforthisnationalcommunitytobettercontributetoaninnovationagendaviacoordination.

Attheotherendofthescalesoftimeandspace,theissuespapercorrectlyidentifiesthemajoremergingcapabilityneedsforastronomy.WenotethatAustralia’sabilitytoplayaleadingroleinthesemajorglobalinfrastructureprojectsisbuiltonhumancapacityandcapability,andourinternationalreputationinkeyareasofastronomicalscienceandinstrumentation.Itshouldalsobeemphasisedthattoextractmaximumreturnoninvestmentinthecapabilitieslisted,theremustbeconsiderablecross-utilisationoftheinstrumentsbytheastronomicalcommunity.

Thelackofpartnershipinan8-metreopticaltelescopeisanurgentandcriticalgapintheAustralianastronomyportfolio.PartnershipisnecessaryforAustraliatomaintaintherequiredexpertise,sciencefoundationandtechnicalcapacitytocapitaliseonAustralia’ssignificantinvestmentinGMT,andtocontinueAustralia’sleadershipininstrumentationdevelopment.AstronomyAustraliaLimitedisactivelyexploringpartnershipopportunitieswithmajoropticalobservatoriessuchastheJapaneseSubarutelescope.TheirscientificandinstrumentationdirectionsarecloselyalignedwiththoseofAustralianastronomy,andtheymaybenefitfromAustralianexpertiseincutting-edgeadaptiveopticssystemsandmulti-fibrespectrographswithroboticfibrepositioningsystems.Itisimportanttonotethatmulti-

wavelengthastronomyiswherethegreatestscientificgainsaremade,sothatresearchersneedtousebothradioandopticaltelescopes.Cross-fertilisationofideasforinstrumentationandeResearchcapabilityiscriticallyimportantandbenefitsthetrainingprogramsofstudentsandearly-careerresearchers.

TheUniversityofSydneyhasdemonstratedamajorcommitmenttoAustralia’snanofabricationcapability.Our$130MSydneyNanoscienceHubhostsover700m2ofISO5andISO7cleanroomspace.AlthougharelativelyminorpartnerinANFFtodate,SydneyiskeentoassumeaproperleadershiproleintheburgeoningareaofnanofabricationandourcontributionofthisoutstandingresourceintothenationalmixofcapabilityoperatedbytheANFFnetworkishighlysignificant.Inthisregard,weendorsetheANFFsubmissionandanticipatesignificantimpactwillfollowfromtherecentannouncementoftwonewARCCentresofExcellence,EQuSandCQC2T,totaling$65Mforthenext7years,aswellasmulti-milliondollarresearchengagementswithMicrosoft,Intelandothermajorcorporations.

Question22: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

Allofthemajorastronomyinfrastructureprojectsoverthenextdecadeareinternationalinscope.FormajorglobalprojectslikeGMTandSKA,AustraliahasalreadymadesignificantinvestmentandweshouldcontinuetopositionAustraliatoplayaleadingroleinthescienceandtechnologyforthoseprojects.TherearealsoopportunitiestoleverageAustralianexpertiseandinnovationinordertojoincollaborationinotherglobalfacilities,suchasspacemissionsandhigh-energyinstruments.

TheissuespaperalsocorrectlyidentifiestheinternationalLaserInterferometerGravitationalWaveObservatory(LIGO)projectasanewareaofastronomythatispoisedtomakebreakthroughsinourunderstandingoftheextremephysicsofblackholesandwarpedspace-time,andwillinspirethenextgenerationofAustralianscientistsandengineers.WenotethatAustraliacouldhostasouthernhemisphere-baseddetector,whichwouldworkwiththenorthern-hemisphere-baseddetectorstohelplocalisetheoriginofthegravitationalwaveswithmuchgreaterprecision.

TheNationalNanotechnologyInfrastructureNetwork(NNIN)intheUSAisanintegratedpartnershipoffourteenuserfacilities,supportedbytheNSF,providingexcellentcapabilitiesfornanoscienceandnanotechnologyresearch.TherearelinkstothisandkindredfacilitiesinEuropeandAsiawiththeANFFandthesemustbemaintainedasavitalstrategicelementoftheAustraliancapability.

Question23: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheAdvancedPhysics,Chemistry,MathematicsandMaterialscapabilityarea?

In~2009,thefederaldepartmentresponsibleforNCRISinitiatedanationalcharacterisationcouncilthatbroughttogetherleadersfromtheAMMRF,NIF,theAustralianSynchrotronandANSTOsneutronscatteringfacility.Councilssuchasthis,whichhaveanexplicitlyscientific(ratherthangovernanceormanagement)agenda,canhaveexcellentimpactfortheirsubstantialusercommunities.SimilarcouncilscouldbeenvisagedtobringtogetherANFF,BioPlatformsAustralia,Biofuelsandotherorganisationswithprofessionalsynthesisand/orfabricationcapabilityandacrossotherdomainssuchaseResearch,andenvironmentalsensingandmodelling.

UnderstandingCulturesandCommunities

Question24: AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforUnderstandingCulturesandCommunitiesright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

Weareconcernedthatthereisinsufficientrecognitionofthechallengesandopportunitiesforadvancedcomputationalapproachestoanswerquestionsinthehumanitiesandsocialsciences.Bayesianmethods,naturallanguageprocessing,automatedimageanalysis,andmachinelearning,forexample,areemergingaskeytoolsthatenablehypothesistesting,quantification,analysisandsynthesisinthesedisciplinesinamannerthatistrulytransformative.Researchfacilitiesthatservicethesecommunitiesmustincludeapeople-basedinfrastructurethatcanbridgethedisciplinefrontierswiththeopportunitiesthatarisefromhigh-performancecomputing,newtypesofdata,andmethodologicaladvances.Accesstohighqualitydataservicesfornationalsocialsecurity,healthandpopulationdataiscriticaltothesedomainsbeingsuccessfulandinnovative.Humanitiesresearcherssupportedbytherighttools,skilledtechniciansanddatahavetheopportunitytoincreaseengagementwithcommunityandindustrypartners.Itiscriticalthattheseresourcesareheavilyembeddedwithinthedisciplinesthemselvesinordertoenablethepollinationofnewideasandtohelpthoseresearchgroupsevolveinrapidandnovelways.Astrictly“service”styleprovisionisunlikelytoeffectbroadscalechangeinthesetypesofdisciplines.

Moregenerally,weagreewiththebroadthrustoftheemergingdirectionsdescribed.Wesuggestthatthereareopportunitiesforcross-cuttinginteractionsbetweenvariousnationalresearchfacilitiesinthespaceofconservationwhereanalysis,imagingorcomputationallvariouslyserveasenablers.

Weagreewiththeemphasisondigitisation,butareconcernedthattherequirementsaroundresourcingforthishavenotbeenfullyconsidered.Forexample,theworkflowincreating3Ddigitalimagevia(e.g.)X-raymicrotomographyofavaluable,fragileobjectthatcansubsequentlybe3Dprinted,displayedandstudiedfurther,eitherasasolidobjectorasanonlinedigitaldataset,involvesacomplexworkflow,ethicalchallenges,andmajordatacurationandwarehousingissues.Moreover,thelong-term(5+years)financialimpactofdigitalobjectsneedscarefulconsideration-anissuethatwaspoorlyaddressedbypreviousNCRISmodels.TheUniversityofSydneyhaslarge,culturally-significantphysicaldatacollections,someofwhichareover150yearsold.Abroad-basednationalinfrastructurecapabilitydedicatedtotheirdigitisationwouldgreatlyenableaccessandreuse.However,digitisationisahighlyspecialisedtaskandtheUniversitywouldrecommendthatresourcesarefocusedaroundsomeparticularstrengths(e.g.AudioandFilm)thanacrossthefullspectrumofanaloguedatasources.Prioritisationofwhichassetsshouldbedigitisedshouldbedrivenbyexistingnationalresearchagendasandcollectionsofnationalsignificance,notonanovelrankingstrategy,combinedwithacknowledgementofformatobsolescenceandphysicalfragilityofthecarriermedium.

Question25: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

Thenationalcapacityforquantitativemethodologiesinthearts,humanitiesandsocialscienceisinanascentstate.Thisisinpartlinkedtothelackofinvestmentinfacilitiesforthisareaintherecentpast.Inrecognitionofthis,andthefactthataneffectiveresearchinfrastructureinthisareaoffersthepotentialformajorsocialandeconomicimpact,werecommendthatapeople-focussedinfrastructureisneededasakeypriority.Linksbetweenengineers,computerscientists,mathematiciansandresearchersinthearts,humanitiesandsocialsciencesareessentialtofacilitatethenextwaveofadvancesinthesefields.Thedepth,breadthandqualityofcultureandcommunityresearchersusingdigitalmethodsissignificantly

greaterintheUSandEU,andasaninvestmentinpeople-basedinfrastructure,formallinkswithleadinginternationaldigitalhumanitiesprogramslikeCLARIN(www.clarin.eu)andDigitalHumanitiesSummerInstitutecouldbeestablishedandmaintainedthroughaTravelandAccessProgram(TAP).

Question26: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheUnderstandingCulturesandCommunitiescapabilityarea?

Thepreviousinfrastructureroadmapsweremorecomprehensiveintheircoverageofthesedisciplines,andthisissuespaperwasnotsufficientlybalancedintermsofdisciplines.ThehumanitiesandsocialsciencesareattheheartoftheUniversityofSydney’sresearchandeducationalvisionandtheyshouldbeforAustraliatoo,whereinterdisciplinarysolutionscanbeappliedtohelpsolvecontemporarychallengessuchasclimatechange,resourcemanagement,healthandwelfare.Accesstosupportinginfrastructureiscriticaltoenablingtheseoutcomes.Despitethis,itisclearthattheUnderstandingCulturesandCommunitiescapabilitydidnotgreatlybenefitfromthepreviousroadmapsinanylongtermorsustainedfashion.TheUniversityofSydneyrecommendsthattheframeworksanddeliverymechanismsdeployedthroughthisexerciseaimtoempowerthesedisciplinestoownanddriveoutcomesthatarealignedwiththeirresearchquestionsandagenda,whileatthesametimeinvestinginskills,methodsandinfrastructurethathasthepowertotransformandcreateacultureofinnovation.Forexample,followingtheleadsofreportssuchasTurnerandBrass“MappingtheHumanities,ArtsandSocialSciencesinAustralia”(2014)wouldempoweranyinvestmentinthesedomains.

NationalSecurity

Question27: AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforNationalSecurityright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

Theissuespaperaddressesthekeyissuesinthisspace.Thediversityofrequirementsfornationalsecurityisachallengethatwillrequirecarefulanalysis.Weconsiderthatnationalsecurityrepresentsanopportunityfortheintegrationofcross-cuttingcapabilitiesfromacrossthenationalresearchinfrastructure.Thisisbecauseitisapparentthatmanynationalresearchfacilitiescancontributetonationalsecurity.Therefore,ahighlevelinter-facilitycoordinationthatpreservesacertainlevelofeffortandcapabilitydevotedtonationalsecurityisworthconsidering.

Question28: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityintheUSAisanexampleofahigh-levelorganisationthatcoordinatesfederalandstateresources,includingawiderangeofresearchfacilityresources,foracommonpurpose.

Question29: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheNationalSecuritycapabilityarea?

Thecapability“SpaceresearchanditsEarthapplications”proposedearlierprovidesimportantscientificandeconomicopportunitiesthatarealsorelevantinthisdomain.TheeffectsofsolarandinterplanetarydisturbancesontheEarth’smagnetosphere–ionosphere–atmosphere–ground/oceansystem,andonhumantechnologyremaintobeproperlyunderstoodandharnessed.SSAandspaceweatherdata/predictionsareincreasinglyvitalforsafeguardingAustralia’snationalsecurity,theinternationaleconomy,andcriticalinfrastructuresuchaselectricitypowergridsandcommunications.Forinstance,acapacitytopredictthearrival,nature,andconsequencesofeventssuchasthepre-SpaceAge“CarringtonEvent”in1859insufficienttimetotakemitigationmeasuresisclearlycrucialforAustralia.

UNDERPINNINGRESEARCHINFRASTRUCTURE

Question30: AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforUnderpinningResearchInfrastructureright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

WeareconcernedthatvastamountsofdataarebeinggeneratedacrossNCRIScapabilities,andyettherearecurrentlynosecurelong-termstorageoptionsavailablethatalsopermitreadyaccessforthewiderresearchcommunity.AdditionalcapabilitiesnotcurrentlyidentifiedintheIssuesPaperincludepubliccloudinfrastructureandpracticaldatamanagementcapabilities.ThischallengeneedstobeurgentlyaddressedtoprotecttheexistinginvestmentinNCRIS,preservethatlegacyandsetoutaplanforthefutureofourresearchdata.

Peakcomputationalfacilitiesprovideaccesstospecialisedresourcesthatarebydesigncuttingedge,highvalueanddriveresearchoutcomes.Afocusofresourcesonwell-definedcapabilitieslikeHighPerformanceComputingallowsforexpertiseandcompetitiveadvantagestobebuiltandmaintained.TheUniversityofSydneystronglysupportsthecontinuedinvestmentintheNationalComputationalInfrastructureandrecommendsthatnationalresearchinfrastructurefundsberegularlyprioritisedandcommittedtokeepingthefacilitygloballycompetitive(i.e.Top25)onaregularbasis.Furthermore,eResearchcapabilitiesneedtoalignandbeuserdrivenratherthantechnologydriven.Forexample,ratherthaneResearchfundingsmall,andrapidinfrastructuredevelopmentprojects,theunderpinningresearchinfrastructureshouldworkwithotherNCRISdatacapabilities(e.g.IMOS,TERNandAuScopeandothers)todeliverlong-termroadmapswherebyinvestmentisalignedwithneeds.Thereisapersistentmisconceptionthatdataaloneisthekeytothepuzzle.Thisoutdatedpositionunderplaysthenexusofdataandadvancedcomputationalmethodsanddrivessuboptimaloutcomesandcapabilities.Aboveall,infrastructureneedstodovetailwithallofthecommunity,andnotbedrivenbyfractionalorfactionalneeds.

Inadditiontopeakcomputationalfacilities,thenationalfundingschemesoughttoassumeparticularresponsibilityfornetworkingandidentitymanagement.Theten-yeartrendhorizonforresearchandscientificcomputingisopaqueandpre-determiningitthroughlargecapitalinvestmentincommoditytechnologiesthatquicklybecomeobsoletewillnotprovidetheAustralianresearchcommunitywiththeflexibilityandagilityrequiredtoadoptinnovativeanddisruptingtechnology.eResearchservicesneedtobeprovidedatsignificantlybelowmarketcost,orfreeofcharge,andbebasedonuserdemandandtransparentco-investment.Forexample,anationaleResearchhelpdeskserviceacrossallNCRIScapabilitiesisneededtoprovidesupportbacktocapabilitiesonissuessuchasnetworking,security,data

integrityandaccess.Itishighlyadvantageousfortheinfrastructuretobeabletorespondtoevolvingtechnologydevelopmentsanduserneedsinatimelyfashion.

Question31: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

Thereareanumberofinternationalprogramswecanengageinandlearnfromincluding:

• InCommon-https://www.incommon.org/• OpenAire-https://www.openaire.eu/• EuDAT-https://www.eudat.eu/• XSEDE-https://www.xsede.org

Wealsorecommendworkingwiththeleadinginternationaldata-intensiveprojectstodesignandbuildthenextgenerationofICTinfrastructure.Forexample,Astronomyresearchhasrequirementsthatwillrapidlyincreaseinthenextdecade,asnewtelescopesgeneratingunprecedenteddatavolumesandrequiringsignificantHPCtimefordataprocessingandmodelling.Inparticular,theSquareKilometreArray(SKA)Phase1willproduce100sofpetabytesofdataperyearfortransportandprocessing.ProjectslikethesewithenormousHPCandnetworkingdemands(e.g.nearexascalecomputingfordedicatedprocessingand~1Tbpsnetworklinks)thatmustbecarefullyplannedwellinadvance,butalsoprovideAustraliawithanopportunitytoinvestintheskillsandtechnologytosupportarangeofdisciplinesandcapabilities.

Question32: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheUnderpinningResearchInfrastructurecapabilityarea?

TheUniversityofSydney,likemanyotherinstitutionsandfacilitiesnationally,didnotobserveasatisfactorylevelofshortorlongtermvaluefromtheverylargecapitalinvestmentsinthepreviouseResearchschemes.WehavealsobeendismayedtofindproblematicfinancialburdensfromRDSIandNeCTARcreepintoouroperationswithoutanysenseofprioritisation,researchalignmentorlong-termplanning.Theuseof“nodes”dilutedanddistractedthedeliveryofoutcomes,andwasprincipallynotalignedwithinvestmentsinresearchineithercompetitivefundingorindustrypartnerships.Thestate-basednodeshaverepeatedlybeeninefficientandproblematicintermsoflongevityandsustainability.Theyneitherprovidepeakcapabilitiesthatcanbegloballycompetitive,norcantheybecustomisedenoughtoworkseamlesslyinthelocalcontext.Inthefuture,werecommendthatinvestmentinunderpinningresearchbemadedirectlytothespecificresearchfacilities,orinstitutions(Tier2)thatareprimarilyresponsiblefortheoperationsanddeliveryofaservice.Whereappropriate,theinvestmentmaybeneededatthesingularpeaknationalfacilities(Tier1).Wewouldurgethatthiscontemporaryintegrativeapproachissuperior.WedonotseeafutureforamiddleTier1.5.

Finally,wenotethatrobustaccessandauthenticationservicesarerequired,whichwillworkforalltheservicesavailableintheeResearchinfrastructure.Accessandauthenticationshouldworkseamlesslyusinginstitutionalauthentication.Thiswouldalsoenablemachine-to-machineaccesstodataandservices.

DataforResearchandDiscoverability

Question33 AretheidentifiedemergingdirectionsandresearchinfrastructurecapabilitiesforDataforResearchandDiscoverabilityright?Arethereanymissingoradditionalneeded?

Thedatainfrastructure,e.g.ICTtechnologieslikecomputeandstorage,landscapeisrapidlyshiftingtoaconsumptionorserviceapproach.Thefundingmodelsmustensuretheresearchcommunityhassteadyandpredictableaccesstotheresourcestheyneedtoeffectivelycarryouttheirtasks.Acapital-onlyICTinvestmentstrategyisshort-sightedandworksagainstindustrytrends.TheUniversityofSydneyrecommendsthatanyNationalResearchInfrastructureICTbodyhasthediscretiontoupdateitsfundingmechanismstomatchbestpracticeinvestment.ThefutureofinnovationinAustraliawillnotcomefrombuildinglargemonolithicanddisjointedICTventures.Inadditiontothepointsoutlinedintheissuespaper,werecommendthatinthefuture,theinfrastructureshouldbemoreflexibleandscalable,inparticularfocusingonhowbesttocoordinatetoachieveatrulynationalapproach.Policyandinfrastructureshouldsupportthearchivingandpreservationofallresearchdatasets,includingsensitivedatasets,fromacrossalldomains.

Innovationandlongevitywillcomefromahighlyskilledsupportworkforce—architects,dataengineers,solutiondesigners—workinginclosecollaborationwiththeiracademicandindustrypeers.Thisworkforcecanadapttomarketchangesquicklyandensurethateachdomainisinvestinginajust-in-timebasis,andinplatformsthatarebuiltwiththeirdisciplineneedsattheforefrontofdesign.Thisworkforceshouldbesuppliedwithtoolsthatreducethetimetoresearchoutcomes,specificallytoolstotransferdata,uploaddata,migratedata,replicationservices,highavailabilitydataservices,andenvironmentstoenablereproduciblescience.

MostNCRIScapabilitiesareproducingeverlargerdatafilesduetotheincreasingrichnessofdataobtainedfromcontemporarytechniques,e.g.theincreaseddigitalandspectralresolutionofmoderndetectors,andthetransitionfromprobingsystemsintwo-orthree-dimensionstowardtheroutineacquisitionof4Dand5Ddataarrayswherecompositionalandtime-resolvedinformationaresuperimposedontospatiallyresolveddatasets.Inaddition,theyareincreasinglygeneratinginternationallysignificantdata,warrantingsharingandre-use.Inresponsemanyfacilities,suchastheAMMRF,aredevelopingplansforanationalapproachtodatamanagement.Successwillrequireinfrastructuretosupportdataacquisitionandhigh-speeddatatransfer,securestoragethatallowssharinginacontrolledway(throughauthenticationandregistration)andthecapacitytoundertakecloud-baseddataanalysisonstoreddata.Mostimportantly,successfullyachievinganationaldatasolutionrequirescapability-baseddataandinformaticsengineerstoimplementsolutionsandtoprovideexpertadviceandsupporttofacilityusers.TheUniversityofSydneywouldrecommendtheserequirementsbeincorporatedintoanynewcapabilitiesforDataforResearchandDiscoverability.

Question34: ArethereanyinternationalresearchinfrastructurecollaborationsoremergingprojectsthatAustraliashouldengageinoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond?

Yes:keyinternationalprogramsinclude:

•EuDAhttps://www.eudat.eu/ •Horizon2020https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/•HelixNebulahttp://www.helix-nebula.eu/ •ApacheAiravatahttps://airavata.apache.org/•EuropeanOpenScienceCloudhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/openscience/index.cfm?pg=open-science-cloud

Question35: Isthereanythingelsethatneedstobeincludedorconsideredinthe2016RoadmapfortheDataforResearchandDiscoverabilitycapabilityarea?

TheDataforResearchandDiscoverabilitycapabilityneedstohaveincreasedemphasisonmethodsand“datascience”.Fundamentally,theworldisalreadyontracktomanagemassivedataholdings,withcommercialproviderslikeAmazonprovidingfargreatercapabilitiesthananyofthelegacyNCRISdataplatforms.Werecommendanapproachthatinvestsina)institution-basedinformaticianswhohavehighlydevelopeddatatechniquesandmethods,anenablerthatwilldrivenewscientificoutcomesindisciplineandmulti-disciplineresearch;b)providingdirect“data”investmentintoothersuccessfulResearchCapabilitiestoincreasetheirROIandcuttingoutthemiddlemensothatICT/dataisnotmediatedbythirdparties(e.g.RDS/RDSI),whichtodatehavedemonstratedgrossinefficienciesand;c)investingindataandknowledgeservicesoverinfrastructure.

Dataandcybersecurityisanareathatwillrequireavastincreaseinresourcesandskillsinordertomeetchallengesfromlocalandinternationalthreatsandrisks.Theincreasinguseofborn-digitalsensitivedatainresearchcanonlybeharnessediftherearesystemsandprocessesinplacethattheverybasiclevelprotectdatacontributorsandresearchers.Whiledatasharingisimportant,fundamentalresearchinmedical,defence,andcommercially-andculturally-sensitivedomains(whichprohibitdatasharing)canofferoutstandingcommunityoutcomes.ToostrongafocusonOpenDatawillpotentiallyjeopardisenationallysignificantresearchagendas.Investmentincoredataskillsaroundencryptionanddatalinkage,coupledwithaccesstocontemporaryICTservices,willprovideaRoIbasedonnewtechniquesandthedeploymentofexistingmethodsinnoveldomains.TheUniversityofSydneyisaleaderinthisspacewiththeestablishmentoftheSydneyInformaticsHubandtheCentreforTranslationalDataScience.OursubstantialinvestmentpositionstheUniversitytoactivelyleadanynationalpushfordatasecurityasanunderpinningcapabilityandfeedintotheNationalSecuritycapability.

Theroadmapmustre-engineerthecurrentnationalgovernanceandoperatingstructuresoftheexistinginfrastructureinthisspaceinordertoenabledecommissioningandcommissioninginaflexibleandeffectivemanner.Eachoftheinfrastructuresshouldworkcloselytoprovideanintegratedservicetodeliveraseriousimpactatagloballevel.Easyaccessofcloudinfrastructuretointernationalcollaboratorsshouldalsobeconsidered.

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WewoulddrawattentiontothepotentialforAustraliatoleveragefromournationalresearchinfrastructureinvestmentsinawaythatfacilitatesthedevelopmentofanindustrysectordevotedtoscientificinstrument-developmentandmanufacture.Thenationalcapabilityinthegeneralareaofmethodologyandtechniquedevelopmentisexcellentbothintermsofsoftwaredevelopment,eResearchcapacityandinstrumentadaptation,anddevelopment.Amechanismtocapturethebenefitsoftheseinnovationsandthepromotionofanewindustrysectorthatspecialisesindetectors,emissionsources,lenses,throughtovisualisation,analysisworkbenches,metadataaggregationandinformaticsisworthcarefulconsideration.