eResearch Newsletter March 2026

Dear Alex, here is the Australasian eResearch Newsletter.

Australasian eResearch Newsletter - March 2026

Message from AeRO:

Quite a bumper issue this month, after two quiet (holiday) issues. There’s clearly a lot going on in the eResearch sector, judging by the variety and density of events and reports appearing in this issue.

No particular news from AeRO this month, but some exciting news to appear in the next issue. And don’t forget to put the dates of the next eResearch Conference in your diary – 26 to 30-Oct-26, at the MCG in Melbourne.

Alex Reid, Newsletter Editor.

CONTENTS:
* ARDC National Skills Forum: Coaching Researchers: 17-Mar.
* GDG AI for Science Workshops: from 19-Mar.
* Data Governance Tools for Clinical Trial Data Sharing: 23-Mar.
* 2026 ORCID Community Town Hall: 25-Mar.
* AARNet and Globus Technical Catch-ups: 27-Mar.
* PyCon AU 2026 Call for Proposals Closes: 29-Mar.
* The Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 10-Apr.
* ICS 2026 Poster Submissions: apply by 15-Apr.
* ARDC-Sponsored Eureka Prize for Data Platforms: by 16-Apr.
* The Google.org Impact Challenge: 17-Apr.
* Help Shape National AI Priorities for Life Science Research: 29-Apr.
* BioCommons Workshop on Sharing and Reproducibility: 27-May.
* Resbaz QLD – Call for Presenters: 23 to 25-Jun.
* Research Bazaar Perth: 23 to 25-Jun.
* CAUDIT Cloud Can Stem Rising Infrastructure Costs.
* 2026 HASS and Indigenous RDC Summer School Report.
* Webinar Recording: Accessible and Inclusive Training.
* WEHI Discovery Internship Program 2025/26.
* REDCap+ Released Next Month.
* QCIF Digital Research Signs MoU with CAUDIT.
* QCIF and QUT Building Workforce.
* Testing a New Network Timing Core to Keep Australia in Sync.

ARDC National Skills Forum: Coaching Researchers Outside the Comfort Zone: 17-Mar

This forum explores coaching as a specific skillset that can bridge the divide between attending a workshop and changing research practice. Research professionals will share examples of coaching approaches that have made a difference for learners building data and software capability.

Date/Place: 17 March, 12 noon AEDT, online.

For more information and to register:
https://ardc.edu.au/event/ardc-national-skills-forum-coaching-researchers-outside-the-comfort-zone/.

GDG AI for Science Workshops: from 19-Mar.

The Google Developer Groups AI for Science community is hosting a series of hands-on “Build with AI” events designed to help researchers leverage the latest AI technologies. They will explore applying deep learning models to genomics and sequence analysis, building conversational multi-agent AI teams, and leveraging open-weight models for secure, local experimentation while grounding LLMs in reality.

Whether you are just starting with Python and AI fundamentals, or are ready to deploy sophisticated multi-agent systems, these community-led workshops provide a practical technical blueprint you can apply to your research. You can even get free cloud credits!

Register for upcoming sessions here: https://goo.gle/gdg-ai-science.

Data Governance Tools to Advance Clinical Trial Data Sharing: 23-Mar

Are you a researcher or clinical trialist using secondary health data? Join us for an engaging and practical online webinar jointly hosted by CT:IQ and ARDC, designed to help you navigate the complex secondary research landscape with clarity and confidence.

Date/Place: 23 March, 11 am AEDT, online.

For more information and to register: https://ardc.edu.au/event/data-governance-tools-to-advance-clinical-trial-data-sharing/.

2026 ORCID Community Town Hall: 25-Mar

We are delighted to invite you to attend the ORCID Community Town Hall meeting on 25 March 2026.

The ORCID senior team will share the progress we made in 2025 and give a special preview of our plans for 2026. As always, there will be plenty of opportunity for you to engage with us: to provide feedback, make suggestions, and ask questions.

For details and registration, see: https://info.orcid.org/event/orcid-community-town-hall-2026/.

AARNet and Globus Technical Catch-ups: 27-Mar

AARNet is hosting Globus technical sessions to help researchers learn more about Globus and discuss technical challenges or issues related to data movement or their Globus service.

Globus is a fast, reliable, and secure data transfer service available to the Australian research community via AARNet. These sessions are open to all researchers, with AARNet and Globus experts on hand to offer guidance and support.

Find out more or register your interest at https://aarnet.edu.au/aarnet-globus-technical-catch-ups.

PyCon AU 2026 Call for Proposals Closes: 29-Mar

The PyCon AU 2026 Call for Proposals is now open and will close at midnight on 29 March, worldwide. The conference itself will be held 26-30 August in Brisbane. This year there will be no Scientific Python specialist track, but there will be a Research Software Engineering specialist track, which would be great for researchers, managers and software engineers thinking of using Python and software engineering practices to make software more robust and more usable for reproducible research.

We would love talks from a wide range of people engaged with RSE and assessing its impact on research.

For more, see: https://2026.pycon.org.au/cfp/.

The Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 10-Apr

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.

ICS 2026 Poster Submissions: apply by 15-Apr

Posters from students and early-career researchers are being solicited for the Northern Ireland-based ACM International Conference on Supercomputing.

Thanks to the generous support of SIGHPC and SIGARCH, ICS26 is pleased to offer both student travel grants and early-career travel grants. We are also organising an optional conference mentorship program, which participants may select during registration.
Applications are due by April 15, 2026, with notifications sent by April 30, 2026.

For more information please see the ICS 2026 website (https://dipsa-qub.github.io/ICS2026-webpage/) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ics-2026/).

Announcing New ARDC-Sponsored Eureka Prize for Data Platforms: by 16-Apr

This year a new ARDC-sponsored award for data platforms is joining the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, Australia’s leading science awards. The prize is open for entries until Thursday 16 April.

For more information, and to enter: https://ardc.edu.au/article/announcing-new-ardc-sponsored-eureka-prize-for-data-platforms/.

The Google.org Impact Challenge: 17-Apr

The Google.org Impact Challenge has launched an open call for technology-forward initiatives with global potential. This is a significant opportunity for the eResearch community to secure funding and technical support across two distinct streams: AI for Science - Accelerating scientific breakthroughs, and AI for Government - Transforming public service delivery. With up to USD$30M available per stream, this challenge is ideal for research groups leveraging AI to solve complex problems.

Applications for both categories close April 17th. Learn more and apply at the official page https://goo.gle/3MQFBPs.

Help Shape National AI Priorities for Life Science Research: 29-Apr

AI and machine learning are rapidly transforming life sciences. To ensure national infrastructure and training meet real world needs, Australian BioCommons is mapping how these technologies are applied particularly in molecular data analysis.

Whether you are an absolute beginner or an AI expert, your perspective is vital, so please take a 10 minute survey or join a 60 minute online focus group. On 29 April 2026, we will share the project outcomes, providing a first look at our 2026 infrastructure and training priorities.

Take the survey: https://q.surveys.unimelb.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_41UjhkYVnuQkwVE.
Join a Focus Group: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJNx-wd_0dFd9GGd9U0QZhXRxH5De6p3N-sm97yZ6jiDrWKQ/viewform.
29-Apr Webinar: https://www.biocommons.org.au/events/future-of-ai-in-life-sciences.

BioCommons Workshop on Sharing and Reproducibility: 27-May

Want to make your bioinformatics analyses reproducible and easier to share?
Join this Australian BioCommons workshop to learn how to run and customise nf-core workflows for your research. You will learn about the nf-core tools utility, step through the code structure of nf-core workflows, and explore the various ways to adjust workflow parameters, customise processes, and configure workflows for your computational environment.

This workshop is free but you must apply to join.

27 - 28 May 2026 (applications close 13 May).
More information and applications: https://www.biocommons.org.au/events/nf-core-2026, or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7434471822970114048.

Resbaz QLD – Call for Presenters: 23 to 25-Jun

ResBaz QLD is returning to Brisbane for its 10th anniversary 23-25 June, bringing three days of hands-on digital research training, workshops, talks, and community building at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus. It’s a vibrant, highly participatory festival where researchers from every discipline and career stage can explore new tools, build practical skills, and connect with peers in a fun, collaborative environment.

If you would like to be a guest presenter or workshop facilitator, or if you have a research superpower that others need to learn, load your EOI into the Get Involved page (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd689WEt6ZJPmd-833S7DaHjthJlvcNmm6qSfePuqnxiyrg6Q/viewform) and submit your workshop pitch.

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/.

CAUDIT Cloud Can Stem Rising Infrastructure Costs

Global storage and memory shortages are pushing up prices and extending delivery timelines. This volatility is likely to continue after 2026. As seen during the COVID toilet paper saga (dare we remind you), costs rise quickly and lead times can extend significantly.

One way to manage this volatility is through IaaS or managed service models, which transfer commodity price risk to the provider. With CAUDIT Cloud, your institution can lock in predictable pricing and maintain sovereignty over critical systems and data, hosted onshore in Australian-owned facilities.

If you have procurement plans for 2026, consider employing CAUDIT Cloud.

Learn more: https://www.macquariecloudservices.com/private-cloud-caudit-cloud/.

Highlights from the 2026 HASS and Indigenous RDC Summer School

The fourth annual HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons Summer School brought together 55 researchers to grow ethical digital research capability, and focussed on Cultivating Digital Research Excellence. The Summer School was held at Federation University’s SMB Campus in Ballarat from 3 to 4 February 2026.

ARDC recaps the highlights and learnings from the fourth annual Summer School for the HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons.

See: https://ardc.edu.au/article/cultivating-digital-research-excellence-highlights-from-the-2026-hass-and-indigenous-rdc-summer-school/.

Webinar Recording: Accessible and Inclusive Training

Watch this webinar recording to learn how inclusive, accessible design transforms digital research training. Speakers share practical strategies drawn from Universal Design and adaptive accommodation, along with real stories that show what truly supports diverse learners. Discover simple, effective ways to broaden participation, lift comprehension and create learning environments where every participant can thrive.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brJuVYBbZLY.

WEHI Discovery Internship Program 2025/26

Intake 14 of the WEHI Discovery Internship Program has officially concluded, marking another milestone. The program supported 41 interns across 10 projects, representing participants from 7 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The 10 projects covered budget forecasting, genomics, LLM systems, DevOps, web development, and quantum computing.

Over the 15-week duration, interns asked 2,581 questions, demonstrating strong engagement with the learning process. Attendance at daily standups remained robust, with 315 participants regularly joining throughout the program.

For more: https://wehi-rcpstudentinternship.github.io/intakes/14-Summer-2025-2026/.

REDCap+ Released Next Month

Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) is excited to launch REDCap+ this April – the next evolution of our REDCap service. Building on the trusted platform over 4.2 million researchers worldwide already rely on, REDCap+ brings enhanced functionality, improved governance, and expanded support to help power the next generation of research projects.

The upgrade will deliver a more scalable, secure, and high-performing environment for data capture and study management, supporting growing research demands across HMRI and our partners.

Find out more about how the experienced team at HMRI can help you and your research: https://hmri.org.au/research/research-services/data-sciences.

QCIF Digital Research Signs Strategic Partnership MoU with CAUDIT

Building on our shared commitment to advancing data, digital capabilities and research excellence, this MoU will deepen collaboration and knowledge exchange across institutions and bring new initiatives that support universities, research organisations and the broader innovation ecosystem.

For further details, see: https://www.qcif.edu.au/news/qcif-digital-research-signs-strategic-partnership-mou-with-caudit.

QCIF and QUT Building Workforce

QCIF and QUT are building workforce-ready talent through Work Integrated Learning.
Supervised by Dr Renuka Sharma, the students are applying advanced data science, machine learning and AI techniques to two of QCIF’s existing research initiatives.

Further information here: https://www.qcif.edu.au/news/qcif-and-qut-building-workforce-ready-talent-through-work-integrated-learning.

Testing a New Network Timing Core to Keep Australia in Sync

Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney are using AARNet’s national network to test a new system called the Network Timing Core, designed to improve how trusted time is distributed across the internet.

Accurate timing underpins everything from financial systems to scientific experiments and telecommunications. By trialling the system on AARNet’s live network, the team aims to develop a more resilient and transparent approach to time synchronisation, reducing hidden errors and strengthening the reliability of digital infrastructure.

Find out more at https://www.aarnet.edu.au/testing-a-new-network-timing-core-to-keep-australia-in-sync.

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/.
Click HERE to subscribe to the eResearch Mailing List.
Thanks, Alex Reid, AeRO Newsletter Editor.

This email was sent to alex.reid@uwa.edu.au
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
AeRO - Australian eResearch Organisations · Level 5, Axon Building #42 · University of Queensland · St Lucia, QLD 4069 · Australia