eResearch Newsletter September 2026

Dear Alex, here is the Australasian eResearch Newsletter.

Australasian eResearch Newsletter - September 2026

Message from AeRO:

The Program has now been released for the eResearch Australasia Conference to be held from 26 to 30 October 2026 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as we celebrate 20 years of eResearch Australasia. See https://conference.eresearch.edu.au/.

Aligning with this year’s theme, Celebrating our Past – Shaping our Future, the 2026 program brings together an exciting mix of oral presentations, lightning talks, posters, Birds of a Feather (BoF) sessions and workshops from across the eResearch community, reflecting on two decades of progress while looking ahead to the next era of eResearch.

In addition to the main program, the first and last days will feature a range of valuable Workshops. You can book workshops using the registration portal. If you have already registered, Conference Design will email you a link to add workshops to your attendance.

Alex Reid, Newsletter Editor.

CONTENTS:
* Research Data Alliance (RDA) Roadshow: Hobart: 21-Sep.
* NCI Training: Internode Parallelism: Introduction to MPI: 21 to 22-Sep.
* Pawsey Training: Working with Containers on Setonix: 22 to 23-Sep.
* Getting to Know the National Health Data Hub: 23-Sep.
* Australian Internet Observatory Platform for Digital Platform Research: 24-Sep.
* Tech Talk 32: NVCL Reporting: a Hybrid Low-Code Pro-Code Approach: 24-Sep.
* NCI Training: Getting Started with Gadi: 29-Sep.
* Working With Text: From Interview Transcripts to 125 Years of Hansard: 29 to 30-Sep.
* SupercomputingAsia 2027 – Call for Submissions: due 30-Sep.
* NCI Training: Internode Parallelism: GPU-Aware MPI: 30-Sep.
* The Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 1-Oct.
* NCMAS 2027 Applications Closing: 2-Oct.
* Pawsey Partner Allocation Scheme Applications closing: 2-Oct.
* BioCommons Workshop: Long-Read Sequencing for Bacterial Genomics: 7 to 8-Oct.
* Training: Pawsey HIP Workshop: 20 to 21-Oct.
* Research Computing Roadshow – Melbourne: 23-Oct.
* Arcitecta RDM Community of Practice: 30-Oct.
* EcoCommons Wins 2026 ARDC Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Platforms.
* Research with Sensitive and Indigenous Data Guide.
* Report: Growing Importance of Cultural Data in Australia’s Creative Future.
* Measuring What Matters: ARDC Launches the Environmental Indicators Initiative.
* Australia’s National Environmental Research Infrastructure Delivering Billions in Benefits.
* Driving National Research Clarity: The ARC and ARDC Partner on PIDs.
* New Toolkit Helps Researchers Share Clinical Trial Data Safely and Responsibly.
* Bridging the Digital Divide: ARDC Skills and Infrastructure Accelerate Ecoacoustics Research.
* Transforming How We See the Universe with Quantum Telescopes.
* Meet Melanie Woodward, QCIF's Inaugural Chief Operating Officer.
* AI in Scientific Research Landscape Analysis.

Research Data Alliance (RDA) Roadshow: Hobart: 21-Sep

Join the RDA Roadshow in Hobart to learn about the latest in global research data innovation and collaboration. The RDA is a global initiative launched in 2013 with the vision to drive international data-driven breakthroughs by promoting trusted data sharing, collaboration, and standards across borders and disciplines.

21 September 2026, 10 am to 12 noon, AEST.

More information, and to register: https://ardc.edu.au/event/research-computing-roadshow-2026-melbourne/.

NCI Training: Internode Parallelism: Introduction to MPI: 21 to 22-Sep

The Message Passing Interface (MPI) is arguably the primary programming model used for applications internode parallelism. In this workshop participants will be shown various MPI communication mechanisms to achieve data exchange between multiple nodes.

When: September 21 -22, 2pm to 4pm AEST.
Where: online.

See Event Page for prerequisites and registration: https://events.humanitix.com/internode-parallelism-introduction-to-mpi.

Pawsey Training: Working with Containers on Setonix: 22 to 23-Sep

Designed for new and existing HPC users, this introductory course introduces the concepts, tools, and workflows for developing, running, and sharing containerized applications. This session, run by Pawsey's Alexis Espinosa Gayosso and Victor Olet, is intended for researchers who would like to begin using containers in their computational workflows.

When: 22–23 September 2026
Where: Online

More information and registration: https://pawsey.org.au/events/working-with-containers-on-setonix-22-23-september-2026.

Getting to Know the National Health Data Hub: 23-Sep

Join this webinar from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), hosted by the ARDC, to learn about the National Health Data Hub (NHDH), which brings together core government health and aged care datasets into a single dataset.

The National Health Data Hub, delivered by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, brings together core government and non-government health and welfare data into a secure, de-identified, enduring linkage system.

When: 23 September, 1pm AEST
Where: Online

More information and to register: https://ardc.edu.au/event/getting-to-know-the-national-health-data-hub/.

Introducing the Australian Internet Observatory Platform for Digital Platform Research: 24-Sep

Join this webinar to learn about the new Australian Internet Observatory (AIO) platform, which is supporting new methods to collect and analyse research data from TikTok, Instagram, ChatGPT and other digital platforms.

When: 24 September, 1pm AEST
Where: Online

Details and to register: https://ardc.edu.au/event/introducing-the-aio-platform-for-digital-platform-research/.

Tech Talk 32: NVCL Reporting: a Hybrid Low-Code Pro-Code Approach: 24-Sep

The AuScope NVCL is an Australia-wide geological database of high-resolution imagery, spectroscopy and mineralogical data taken from drill core samples. This talk describes the Reporting software stack which aims to monitor and provide insights into core scanning progress and data quality. We describe a hybrid low-code pro-code approach using the Grafana visualisation and analytics platform as the low-code portion and a python-based ingestion pipeline as the pro-code portion. It is all managed by a Kubernetes cluster.

When: Wednesday, Sept 24, 2:00 – 3:00pm AEST
Where: Zoom
Presenter: Vincent Fazio, software developer with CSIRO Mineral Resources.

More and register: https://tt32.eventbrite.com.au.

NCI Training: Getting Started with Gadi: 29-Sep

This session offers an in-depth introduction to navigating the cluster environment, submitting jobs, and managing your compute storage efficiently. The Getting Started with Gadi seminar is designed for new users or those who want a refresher on the basics of Gadi.

When: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm AEST, 29 September.

You can check the details and secure your spot via the Schedule & Registration Page: https://opus.nci.org.au/spaces/Help/pages/144277624/Seminar+Getting+Started+with+Gadi.

Working With Text Workshops: From Interview Transcripts to 125 Years of Hansard: 29 to 30-Sep

The Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA), the RAPID-CDL project and the Sydney Informatics Hub, together with the Sydney Corpus Lab and the Computational Social Science Lab, invite you to 3 free in-person workshops for researchers who work with text. No coding needed.

Each session stands alone: register for any one, or come to all 3.

When: 29-30 Sept
Where: The University of Sydney

More information and to register: https://ardc.edu.au/event/working-with-text-workshops-qualitative-transcripts-parliament-proceedings-and-discourse/.

SupercomputingAsia 2027 – Call for Submissions: due 30-Sep

SupercomputingAsia 2027 (SCA2027) returns to Singapore from 1–4 March 2027, bringing together the international community across HPC, AI, Quantum Computing and emerging technologies.

Submissions are now open for papers, workshops, tutorials, Birds of a Feather (BoF) sessions and posters. Researchers, practitioners and industry professionals are invited to share original research, new technologies, practical experiences and emerging ideas, and contribute to the conversations shaping the future of advanced computing.

Paper Abstract Due: 30 September 2026
Paper Submission Due: 7 October 2026

View the calls, deadlines and submission details: https://www.sc-asia.org/.

NCI Training: Internode Parallelism: GPU-Aware MPI: 30-Sep

This workshop builds upon the September 21-22 sessions and explores GPU-accelerated distributed computing with CUDA and MPI, focusing on process and GPU-aware communication, memory management, and synchronisation.

When: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm AEST, 30 September.
Where: online.

Full details, including registration, are available on the Event Page: https://events.humanitix.com/gpu-aware-mpi.

The Data Movers Lab: Globus and FileSender Clinics: 1-Oct

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.

NCMAS 2027 Applications Closing: 2-Oct

The National Computational Merit Allocation Scheme (NCMAS) is Australia’s premiere grant scheme for access to High Performance Computing (HPC) resources.

The two Tier-1 HPC facilities in Australia, NCI and Pawsey, together offer hundreds of millions of hours of computing time to meritorious researchers.

NCMAS provides access, based on research and computational merit, for researchers at Australian universities and publicly funded research agencies, to resources at the major national HPC facilities.

NCMAS supports HPC simulations, data processing and AI/ML. Quantum computing is also available via Setonix-Q – a portal for Australian researchers to run hybrid quantum–classical workflows. Applications close 2 October.

Apply here: https://pawsey.org.au/call-for-applications-to-ncmas-2027.

Pawsey Partner Allocation Scheme Applications closing: 2-Oct

The Pawsey Partner Scheme supports the Pawsey partner institutions: CSIRO, Curtin University and the University of Western Australia. The scheme provides significant amounts of compute time for meritorious projects led by researchers from these institutions.

Western Australian Government Agencies conducting research or development are also eligible to access Pawsey services under the Partner Share.

The Pawsey Partner Allocation Scheme supports HPC simulations, data processing and AI/ML. Applications will close 2 October.

Apply here: https://pawsey.org.au/pawsey-partner-allocation-scheme-is-open-for-2027.

BioCommons Workshop: Long-Read Sequencing for Bacterial Genomics: 7 to 8-Oct

Short-read sequencing often leaves gaps in bacterial genome assemblies due to repetitive elements and complex plasmid structures. Long-read sequencing resolves these issues, but working with multi-kilobase data requires specialized analytical workflows.

Join Dr Magdalena Antczak (QCIF) and Dr Michael Geaghan (Sydney Informatics Hub) for a free Australian BioCommons workshop guiding you through long-read sequencing fundamentals.

Date: 7–8 October 2026 (Applications close 29 September 2026)

Apply now: https://www.biocommons.org.au/events/long-reads-2026.

Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7490634768053817344/.

Training: Pawsey HIP Workshop: 20 to 21-Oct

Join Pawsey to build essential skills in developing Heterogeneous Interface for Portability (HIP) applications. HIP provides a programming framework for harnessing the compute capabilities of multicore processors such as the MI250X GPU on Pawsey’s Setonix supercomputer. The focus is on supercomputing generally and specifically with Setonix.

When: 20-21 October 2026
Where: Online

Book a spot: https://pawsey.org.au/events/pawsey-hip-workshop-20-21-october-2026.

Research Computing Roadshow – Melbourne: 23-Oct

The National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, the CSIRO, and the ARDC’s Nectar Research Cloud invite Melbourne-region researchers, software engineers, data specialists, and HPC users to join us for a one-day Roadshow.

The roadshow is focused on introductory training, emerging technologies, and direct engagement with the national supercomputing community. Lighting talks in the morning will provide a comprehensive overview of Australia’s national high-performance computing (HPC) and data services. The afternoon provides the opportunity to choose from one of four novice-level tracks designed to build your foundational skills.

Details and tickets available here: https://events.humanitix.com/melbourne-research-computing-roadshow-2026.

Arcitecta RDM Community of Practice: 30-Oct

Coming to Melbourne for eResearch this October? Stick around through Friday to join Arcitecta as part of a burgeoning research data management community of practice (CoP)!

Theme: Connecting the Dots

Friday 30 October: 8:30am-4:30pm (full day); 8:30am-130pm (half day)

Half-day programme open to all interested in RDM CoP engagement.
Full-day programme for prospective, new and existing Mediaflux users wishing to share experiences and build their knowledge base with peers and developers.

Location: University of Melbourne - Melbourne Connect (M13 + M14)
[Virtual attendance supported as practicable]

No cost to attend – please register by 19 October for catering purposes: https://www.arcitecta.com/events/2026/rdm-workshop/.

EcoCommons Wins 2026 ARDC Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Platforms

Congratulations to the EcoCommons Australia team at QCIF on winning the inaugural ARDC Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Platforms for bringing together data and modelling tools to help address ecological and biodiversity challenges.

Awarded annually by the Australian Museum, the Eureka Prizes honour excellence across research and innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science in Australia. Proudly sponsored by the ARDC, the Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Platforms recognises the development and ongoing maintenance of a data platform that has enabled significant scientific research.

Read more here: https://ardc.edu.au/article/ecocommons-wins-2026-ardc-eureka-prize-for-excellence-in-data-platforms/.

Research with Sensitive and Indigenous Data Guide

The ARDC’s Research with Sensitive and Indigenous Data Guide is an updated and expanded edition of the Publishing Sensitive Data Guide. It incorporates the latest changes to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025), the Restricted Access Species Data Framework, and consent templates developed by CT:IQ. Extensive guidance for working ethically with Indigenous Australians and their data has been added throughout the Guide in collaboration with Indigenous data experts.

Read more here: https://ardc.edu.au/resource/research-with-sensitive-and-indigenous-data-a-guide/.

Report: Growing Importance of Cultural Data in Australia’s Creative Future

Australian Creative Histories & Futures (ACHF) has released its first major research report, From Creative Histories to Futures: Mapping the Cultural Data Sector in Australia. The landmark study is the first of its kind to provide a comprehensive picture of how the arts, creative and cultural sector creates, manages, shares and uses data. The report aims to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and support the development of a more accessible, interoperable and ethical cultural data infrastructure for the future.

Read more: https://ardc.edu.au/article/new-report-highlights-the-growing-importance-of-cultural-data-in-australias-creative-future/.

Measuring What Matters: ARDC Launches the Environmental Indicators Initiative

After 2 years of co-design with more than 75 researchers and government experts, the ARDC’s Environmental Indicators Initiative is now delivering 2 projects to make Australia’s biodiversity and ecosystem data more consistent, accessible and useful for national reporting.

These environmental measurements are vital for tracking whether an ecosystem is stable, recovering or declining, helping us make better decisions about how to protect and restore Australia’s unique landscapes.

Read more: https://ardc.edu.au/article/measuring-what-matters-ardc-launches-the-environmental-indicators-initiative/.

Australia’s National Environmental Research Infrastructure Delivering Billions in Benefits

A new report from Lateral Economics estimates that Australia’s national environmental research infrastructure generates more than $1.5 billion annually in scientific, economic and societal benefits.

Commissioned by 15 Integrated Earth research infrastructure facilities, the study presents an integrated assessment of the collective value of Australia’s major environmental research infrastructure facilities. These facilities—supported primarily through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)—enable cutting-edge research, underpin government policy, and support industry.

Read more: https://ardc.edu.au/article/australias-national-environmental-research-infrastructure-delivering-billions-in-benefits/.

Driving National Research Clarity: The ARC and ARDC Partner on PIDs

Learn how the ARC and ARDC are partnering to increase the adoption of Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) to transform research evaluation, transparency and administrative efficiency across the Australian research sector.

For the ARC, in considering new data driven approaches to research evaluation, adopting Persistent Identifiers is a way to demonstrate the breadth of Australian research. PIDs are a fundamental digital research infrastructure – a universal, machine-readable and interoperable method to uniquely identify and connect entities like researchers, funders, organisations, articles, datasets and projects.

Read more: https://ardc.edu.au/case-study/arc-and-ardc-partner-on-persistent-identifiers/.

New Toolkit Helps Researchers Share Clinical Trial Data Safely and Responsibly

A new suite of data governance tools is supporting safer and more responsible clinical trial data sharing across Australia. The resources help researchers and ethics review bodies manage risk while enabling high-quality research.

The risks associated with data sharing include loss of privacy, harm to communities and erosion of public trust, if health data are shared in ways that don’t meet community expectations.

Read more: https://ardc.edu.au/case-study/new-toolkit-helps-researchers-share-clinical-trial-data-safely-and-responsibly/.

Bridging the Digital Divide: ARDC Skills and Infrastructure Accelerate Ecoacoustics Research

Combining powerful digital infrastructure with targeted skills training is helping Australian researchers harness the potential of large-scale biodiversity monitoring.

Open Ecoacoustics, a service supported through ARDC co-investment partnership, is generating game-changing methods for biodiversity monitoring at scale. The new methods enable researchers to provide robust evidence to support informed environmental policy and more robust industry impact assessments.

Read more: https://ardc.edu.au/case-study/ardc-skills-and-infrastructure-accelerate-ecoacoustics-research/.

Transforming How We See the Universe with Quantum Telescopes

Researchers at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at The University of Western Australia are investigating whether quantum measurement techniques and long-distance AARNet fibre could allow the many advantages of aperture synthesis to be used further in optical astronomy.

By stabilising signals that emulate starlight over two 85 kilometre dark fibre links, the team has simulated an optical interferometer spanning 170 kilometres and recovered accurate imaging information. The approach could enable future optical telescopes to see the universe in far greater detail than today’s instruments.

Find out more at: https://www.aarnet.edu.au/transforming-how-we-see-the-universe-with-quantum-telescopes.

Meet Melanie Woodward, QCIF's Inaugural Chief Operating Officer

QCIF is pleased to announce the appointment of Melanie Woodward GAICD, FGIA, FCPA as Chief Operating Officer of QCIF Digital Research.

Melanie brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience spanning financial services, consulting, community services, health and member associations. Her track record of strengthening organisations, developing talent and improving operational effectiveness aligns strongly with QCIF’s strategic vision.

As COO, Melanie will help drive organisational capability, enhance operational performance, and foster a culture that enables our teams to do their best work.

Read more: https://www.qcif.edu.au/news/meet-melanie-woodward-qcifs-inaugural-chief-operating-officer.

AI in Scientific Research Landscape Analysis

Renaissance Philanthropy, with support from Google.org, is conducting a field-wide landscape analysis of AI integration into scientific research workflows, from July to September 2026, employing interviews and surveys.

The study encompasses scientific research workflows across five domains: Structural biology, Mathematics, Neurodegenerative diseases, Climate science, and Autonomous labs.

If you have an opinion on the current and future use of AI in science please engage with the study: https://goo.gle/45NUp7n.

The final landscape report will be published in late 2026 as a public good.

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.
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