eResearch Newsletter September 2025

Dear <<First Name>>, here is the Australasian eResearch Newsletter.

Australasian eResearch Newsletter - September 2025

Message from AeRO:

I have noticed (in my 10 years as Editor) a distinct shift in emphasis of articles for this Newsletter, and (I think) also in Oral presentations at the eResearch Australasia Conference, from describing tools and their development, to describing case studies of actual research based on that work. This is a laudable trend, indicating a certain degree of maturity in the sector. That is not to say there is not plenty of work yet to be done in developing tools and practices in the field of eResearch, and there are still plenty of admirable developments both in the Newsletters and the Conference.

Either way, please enjoy the items in this issue, as well as the Conference, whose program is now complete, and with EarlyBird registration about the close – so hurry!

Alex Reid, Newsletter Editor.

CONTENTS:
* AI for Life Sciences Webinar: 16-Sep.
* AI Sovereignty and Australia's AI Capabilities: from 18-Sep.
* eResearch 2025 EarlyBird Registration Ends 19-Sep.
* The Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 19-Sep.
* Intersect HPC Portal.
* Join IDW in Brisbane this October: 13-Oct.
* Globus Workshop at eResearch-Australasia: 20-Oct.
* Data, Compute & Infrastructure Trends.
* Zero Water Use Data Centres.
* AI and ML Tools for Research.
* Smart Traps: How AI is Revolutionising Pest Control in NSW.
* Better Connecting People Who Power Australia’s Innovation.
* Latest Updates from the ARDC Planet Research Data Commons.
* dartR Wins 2025 Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research Software.
* Statewide Access IPA Accelerates Biomedical Research in Qld.
* QCIF Joins The Precinct to Drive Research and Innovation in Qld.
* Enabling Astronomy at Scale with AARNet and Globus.

AI for Life Sciences Webinar: 16-Sep

Australian BioCommons announces a special extra session to round off the AI for the Life Sciences webinar series, featuring international speakers!

This series introduces AI in an accessible way, connecting you directly with experts and practical insights into real-world applications. Designed to inspire new ideas and highlight opportunities for AI in the life sciences, the webinars help you recognise how these approaches could benefit your own work.

In this session, Dr Tine Claeys (UGent) and Dr Veit Schwämmle (SDU) will share complementary perspectives on making proteomics data AI-ready and advancing analysis with deep learning, followed by a live Q&A.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/webinar-ai-in-the-life-sciences-exploring-possibilities-inspiring-change-tickets-1344969653439?aff=linkedin17sept.

AI Sovereignty and Australia's AI Capabilities: from 18-Sep

The Tech Policy Design Institute has initiated a project sprint to define sovereign AI and baseline Australia national AI capabilities.

A series of workshops will be held nationally from 18-25 September. Register below for the workshop that best suits you. We encourage you to join in person, if you can.

Participation will enable you to:

Influence the draft Sovereign AI Framework before it is finalised
Contribute directly to a National AI Capability Stocktake.

Your input will help inform the Federal Government’s National AI Plan due later this year.

Register here: https://share.hsforms.com/1Xpe9ei4kTLuEu-JoAzowIQt11j5.

eResearch 2025 EarlyBird Registration Ends 19-Sep

Please note that the EarlyBird Registration Discount will end on 19-Sep (it has been extended by one week).

Check out the 2025 eResearch Conference Program – it’s packed with exciting sessions, thought leaders, and cutting-edge case studies across data science, HPC, research infrastructure, AI, FAIR data, and more.

See: https://conference.eresearch.edu.au/program.

The Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 19-Sep

This is a monthly online session for anyone working with Globus and FileSender to discuss challenges, seek advice, or optimise data transfers.

Participants can join at any time during the session to troubleshoot issues, ask questions, and explore best practices. The AARNet Digital Research Team will be available to share expertise and help users make the most of these data movement tools.

Whether you're solving a specific problem or looking to improve workflows, this is a great opportunity to connect and learn in a collaborative environment.

Find out more or register at: https://aarnet.zoom.us/meeting/register/90YKT9FoQfm6NWG_ZAaAVA.

Intersect HPC Portal

Empowering research by removing significant technical barriers, together with the University of Technology Sydney, Intersect developed a new web portal that lets researchers leverage high-performance computing without needing the technical expertise.

Our solution provides an intuitive, graphical interface that simplifies running complex computational tasks, saving valuable time and reducing the learning curve. This allows researchers to focus directly on scientific questions and data analysis, not the underlying technology. By making these powerful tools more accessible and user-friendly, the system fosters greater independence and helps accelerate the pace of discovery. Find more details in the link:

More: https://intersect.org.au/case-study/interactive-high-performance-computing-portal/.

Join IDW in Brisbane this October: 13-Oct

Connect face-to-face with the global data and research community. Collaborate, share insights, and explore what’s next - live and on site. We can’t wait to see you there!

One Month to Go!

Can’t join us in person? Join us virtually!

Virtual registrations are now officially open! Secure your spot from anywhere and join us online. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the IDW 2025 experience.

Register here: https://idw2025.org/registration/.

Globus Workshop at eResearch-Australasia: 20-Oct

Join us at the eResearch Australasia 2025 Conference for a pre-conference workshop on solving data management challenges with Globus.

This session is perfect for system administrators looking to use Globus for efficient research data transfer and automation. Delivered as two self-contained 3-hour sessions, the morning session provides an introduction to Globus with no prior knowledge required. The afternoon session will then build on the Globus concepts and endpoint configuration with more advanced concepts including automation, custom mapping, and scheduling.

Discover how Globus simplifies access to compute, storage, and equipment resources.

Find out more: https://conference.eresearch.edu.au/solving-data-management-challenges-with-globus-from-zero-to-hero-in-one-day/.

Register early, as spaces are limited: https://conference.eresearch.edu.au/registration/.

Data, Compute & Infrastructure Trends

Research environments are being reshaped by the rapid expansion of AI and data-intensive methods. Recent analyses highlight that AI is now the primary driver of global demand for data centre capacity, prompting unprecedented investment in digital infrastructure. At the same time, research data volumes continue to rise sharply each year at approx. ~20% annual growth, amplifying pressures on storage, compute, networking, budget and sustainability. These trends point to a critical need for scalable and efficient approaches to ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with emerging research practices.

Growth in global data centre capacity demand is estimated to exceed 219 GigaWatts by 2030.

More information: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-cost-of-compute-a-7-trillion-dollar-race-to-scale-data-centers.

Zero Water Use Data Centres

With the rapid expansion of digital research infrastructure, water stewardship has become a cornerstone of sustainability in the data centre industry. Best practices now include closed-loop cooling systems, recycled water use, and optimised Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) metrics. Operators are increasingly adopting rainwater harvesting and water-efficient fittings to reduce pressure on local resources.

One company pioneered zero-water cooling solutions nearly two decades ago. As climate pressures intensify, the research sector’s focus on sustainable data centres is becoming paramount to achieving institutional sustainability goals; leveraging net-zero power through Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) and ensuring zero water consumption.

Additional information: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-27/ai-to-take-up-one-quarter-of-sydney-water-in-a-decade/105700928.

AI and ML Tools for Research

Australian researchers are applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in increasingly diverse and impactful ways – whether it’s predicting bushfire patterns, recognising bird calls, analysing texts, or improving healthcare diagnostics.

Discover AI and ML tools for research available via the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud and our partners.

For more information: https://ardc.edu.au/services/ai-and-ml-tools-for-research/.

Smart Traps: How AI is Revolutionising Pest Animal Control in NSW

In a ground-breaking conservation and research initiative, Intersect Australia, a not-for-profit node of the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud, has partnered with the Vertebrate Pest Research Unit (VPRU) of the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to develop an AI-powered image detection system for trapping feral pigs. This cutting-edge technology is designed to automate pest animal control efforts, reducing environmental and agricultural damage across NSW.

Discover how AI-powered cameras, developed by Intersect Australia and NSW DPI, can help trap feral pigs and expand conservation efforts.

More information: https://ardc.edu.au/case-study/smart-traps-how-ai-is-revolutionising-pest-animal-control-in-nsw/.

Better Connecting People Who Power Australia’s Innovation

A new national platform, ARDC Research Link Australia (RLA), is helping connect researchers, industry and government by making expertise and collaboration information easier to find and use. A recent pilot project with RLA shows how verified, accessible insights into Australian researchers’ capability can drive partnerships, innovation and productivity across the nation.

More information: https://ardc.edu.au/article/better-connecting-people-who-power-australias-innovation/.

Latest Updates from the ARDC Planet Research Data Commons

Discover the latest news, resources and upcoming events for earth and environmental science research in this update from Hamish Holewa, Director of the Planet Research Data Commons.

In this update from the Planet RDC, we share the report from the Environmental Indicators Initiative workshop and provide the latest news from our programs.

More information: https://ardc.edu.au/article/latest-updates-from-the-planet-research-data-commons-august-2025/.

dartR Wins 2025 Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research Software

ARDC is pleased to announce that the team that developed dartR, a free and open-source software package for analysis of complex genomic data, has won the 2025 ARDC Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research Software.

Awarded annually by the Australian Museum, the Eureka Prizes honour excellence across research and innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science in Australia. For the third year, the ARDC is the proud sponsor of the Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research Software, which recognises the development, maintenance or extension of software that has enabled significant new scientific research.

More information: https://ardc.edu.au/article/dartr-wins-2025-ardc-eureka-prize-for-excellence-in-research-software/.

Statewide Access to IPA Accelerates Biomedical Research in Queensland

QCIF is proud to enable statewide access to QIAGEN Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), a leading bioinformatics tool used to interpret complex omics data and uncover molecular mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and accelerate discoveries.

Thanks to our unique role as a collaborative, cross-institutional organisation, QCIF successfully negotiated a shared license with QIAGEN Digital Insights, significantly reducing costs and ensuring researchers get access when they need it — without the burden of full-time licensing fees.

Staff and students from participating Queensland universities can learn more and request access here: https://support.qcif.edu.au/ingenuity-pathway-analysis-ipa.

More information: https://www.qcif.edu.au/news/statewide-access-to-ingenuity-pathway-analysis-(ipa)-accelerates-biomedical-research-in-queensland.

QCIF Joins The Precinct to Drive Research and Innovation in Queensland

QCIF has officially moved into The Precinct - a vibrant co-working space supported by the Queensland Government.

This dynamic hub brings together start-ups, government, industry leaders, and investors to drive innovation across the state.

As QCIF expands its national footprint and aims to strengthen collaborations with government and industry, joining The Precinct is an exciting milestone in our journey.

Find us at Level 1, 315 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane 4006.

Enabling Astronomy at Scale with AARNet and Globus

A new collaboration between the Australian SKA Regional Centre (AusSRC) and the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) is investigating mysterious long-period transients – signals that emit powerful, regular radio pulses lasting tens of seconds to half an hour, and repeating over minutes to hours.

With help from AARNet and Globus, high-resolution data from South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope is transferred securely and at speed, letting researchers move straight from capture to analysis.

Find out more at: https://www.aarnet.edu.au/enabling-astronomy-at-scale-with-aarnet-and-globus.

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 http://aero.edu.au/newsletters/.
Click HERE to subscribe to the eResearch Mailing List.
Thanks, Alex Reid, AeRO Newsletter Editor.

This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
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