eResearch Newsletter February 2026

Dear Alex, here is the Australasian eResearch Newsletter.

Australasian eResearch Newsletter - February 2026

Message from AeRO:

The Program Committee for the next eResearch Australasia Conference, to be held at the MCG from 26 to 30-Oct-26 (take a note of those dates!), has been formed and held its first meeting. We’re really excited about the possibilities that holding this event at this iconic venue present. Calls for submissions for all forms of presentations will be issued shortly, but the Committee is keen to hear suggestions for Keynote speakers, so please drop a note to the Committee (eg via editor@aero.edu.au) of any potential Keynote speakers, especially any with a sporting connection!

The AeRO Website (https://www.aero.edu.au/) has recently been updated, and some of the broken links, etc removed. One feature of the website has been the Newsletter, with provision to create a submission and to examine current and previous issues; sadly, that was quite badly broken, and (apart from creating a submission) all reference to old issues has been removed, until such time as it can be restored properly. In the meantime, the current and past issues (going back at least to 2021) can be seen at the editor’s personal website, at https://alex-reid.com/eResNL/.

Alex Reid, Newsletter Editor.

CONTENTS:
* Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 6-Mar.
* ARDC Indigenous Data Governance Masterclass: 18 to 19-Jun.
* ResBaz QLD Turns 10 – Join the Celebration at QUT! 23-Jun.
* Research Bazaar Perth: 23 to 25-Jun.
* QCIF Digital Research Annual User Survey: closing soon.
* 2026 Genomics Standards Consortium meeting, Rotorua: 12 to 14-Aug.
* Mapping Hunger: How Data is Powering Food Relief Across Australia.
* QCIF Digital Research Signs the UK Technician Commitment.
* New Frontier Federated ML Network will Transform Health Research.
* QCIF Contributes to Global RDA Consultation on Agentic AI in Research.
* KeyPoint Announces ISO 27001 Certification.
* Virtual Tour of Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.
* Japan-Australia Quantum Computing Partnership Launches.

Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 6-Mar.

This is a monthly online drop-in session for anyone working with Globus and FileSender through AARNet.

These informal, community-driven sessions provide a relaxed space to explore research data movement challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from shared experiences. Staff from the AARNet Digital Research Team are available to share knowledge and help participants make the most of these data movement services.

All levels of expertise are welcome, and sessions may occasionally focus on specific themes based on community feedback.

Find out more or register at https://aarnet.zoom.us/meeting/register/JF_qcJuQRrizRJEx5DMLlQ.

ARDC Indigenous Data Governance Masterclass: 18 to 19-Jun

The ARDC Indigenous Data Governance Masterclass will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to ethically manage Indigenous data, respecting the cultural protocols and sovereignty of Indigenous communities. It will build the capacity of researchers to engage with Indigenous data, fostering a culturally sensitive and informed approach to data-driven projects. The Masterclass is for data custodians working with Indigenous data and researchers from any discipline who collect or work with Indigenous data.

18 - 19 June 2026, Adelaide University Union House, Tarndanya/Adelaide.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/2026-masterclass.

ResBaz QLD Turns 10 – Join the Celebration at QUT! 23-Jun

QCIF Digital Research is proud to celebrate a decade of ResBaz QLD, hosted at QUT in 2026! For 10 years, ResBaz QLD has helped thousands of researchers build confidence in data and digital skills.

This milestone event will be bigger than ever, three days of hands-on workshops, inspiring talks, networking, and community-driven activities, 23 to 25 June.

Interested in contributing as a speaker, workshop facilitator, exhibitor, or sponsor? We’d love to hear from you!

For more information, visit the ResBaz QLD website (https://resbaz.github.io/resbaz2026qld/) and fill out the “keep me informed” form.

Research Bazaar Perth: 23 to 25-Jun

ResBaz is more than a conference – it's a three-day festival of digital research training, where researchers from all disciplines come together to learn new skills in an interactive, collaborative and – above all – fun setting. Featuring workshops, talks, discussion sessions, networking and plenty of social activities, ResBazPerth provides participatory training spanning nearly fifty different topics of cutting-edge digital research tools and techniques.

ResBaz Perth is being hosted by Murdoch University between 23rd - 25th June 2026.

For more information and to register interest: https://murdoch-library.github.io/resbaz2026perth/.

QCIF Digital Research Annual User Survey: closing soon

QCIF is conducting its annual user satisfaction survey, and your feedback is essential. Your insights enable us to improve services, enhance training, and address emerging needs effectively.

The survey is brief and will take only a few minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous and confidential.

The QCIF Team thanks you for contributing to the continuous improvement of QCIF’s support and services!

Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KBCCG7R.

2026 Genomics Standards Consortium meeting, Rotorua: 12 to 14-Aug

The Genomics Standards Consortium (GSC) maintains the MIxS Standards (Minimum Information about [x] Sequence) that define the minimum metadata held alongside genomic data in global repositories. To meet the contemporary needs of the genomics research community, the GSC wants input from individuals and groups with expertise in Indigenous metadata, Indigenous data governance, legislative and permitting contexts, as well as those who are motivated to host their own national or sub-national genomic data repositories.

Save the date and join us for the GSC meeting in Rotorua! https://genomicsstandardsconsortium.github.io/GSC26-Rotorua/.

Mapping Hunger: How Data is Powering Food Relief Across Australia

Foodbank Australia partnered with the ARDC to enhance the Hunger Map – a national dataset that shows the incidence and depth of food insecurity across Australia. This powerful tool supports food relief distribution, advocacy and research by identifying where need exists and where services are being delivered.

See: https://ardc.edu.au/case-study/mapping-hunger-how-data-is-powering-food-relief-across-australia/.

QCIF Digital Research Signs the UK Technician Commitment

QCIF is proud to announce that it has become one of the first Australian non-university research organisations to sign the UK Technician Commitment, marking a significant milestone in recognising and supporting the role of the technical workforce in enabling world-class research.

See: https://www.qcif.edu.au/news/qcif-digital-research-signs-the-uk-technician-commitment-.

New Frontier Federated ML Network Launched to Transform Health Research in Australia

The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), in collaboration with leading Australian universities and digital research partners, has launched the Frontier Federated Machine Learning Capacity Building for Australia Project. This national initiative is building tools, governance frameworks and technical architectures designed to make it safer and easier and with greater consistency to securely analyse sensitive health data without moving it from where it is stored.

See: https://ardc.edu.au/article/new-frontier-federated-machine-learning-network-launched-to-transform-health-research-in-australia/.

QCIF Digital Research Contributes to Global RDA Consultation on Agentic AI in Research

QCIF Digital Research has contributed to a major international collaboration led by the Research Data Alliance (RDA) in partnership with Microsoft, exploring the role of agentic artificial intelligence across the research lifecycle.

See: https://www.qcif.edu.au/news/qcif-digital-research-contributes-to-global-rda-consultation-on-agentic-ai-in-research.

KeyPoint Announces ISO 27001 Certification

QCIF Digital Research is pleased to announce that KeyPoint has achieved ISO/IEC 27001 certification, following an independent, external audit by Intertek SAI Global.

KeyPoint is QCIF Digital Research’s Secure Access Environment, also known as a Trusted Research Environment. The platform enables data custodians across academia, government, and industry to securely manage and share sensitive data with approved collaborators.

This internationally recognised certification confirms that KeyPoint meets the global standard for information security management and risk governance.

For more information about KeyPoint, go to: https://www.qcif.edu.au/products/keypoint.
Or to book a demonstration, contact keypoint@qcif.edu.au.

Virtual Tour of Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory

Take a (virtual) detour to the stars at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory – including CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope and the SKAO’s SKA-Low telescope.

Explore the latest views of Wajarri Yamaji Country, as well as Pawsey's building on Whadjuk Noongar Country, currently where all the data from the telescopes at the observatory site ends up.

Take the tour at: https://virtualtours-external.csiro.au/MRO/.

Japan Quantum Computing Partnership Launches on International Stage

Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre has signed a Letter of Intent with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) to strengthen scientific cooperation in quantum computing.

The partnership, formalised with AIST’s Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI technology (G-QuAT), represents another step toward making quantum computing practical for real-world applications by combining it with the massive computational power of supercomputers.

For more information, go to: https://pawsey.org.au/australia-japan-quantum-computing-partnership-launches-on-international-stage/.

Contributions

This newsletter is based on contributions from members of the eResearch community, and draws on news articles and newsletters published across the sector. The Newsletter is published around the 16th of each month. Please send all contributions (max. 100 words + link + image) or pointers to any other relevant articles or newsletters to editor@aero.edu.au.
Newsletter archives are available at https://alex-reid.com/eResNL/.
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Thanks, Alex Reid, AeRO Newsletter Editor.

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