Planet Research Data Commons Launches Consultations

The Planet Research Data Commons will deliver new digital research infrastructure to support environmental researchers and decision makers.
Overhead view of Hinchinbrook island waterways and mangroves

The ARDC is excited to launch consultations for the Planet Research Data Commons, which will deliver new digital research infrastructure to support environmental researchers and decision makers.

The Planet Research Data Commons will deliver shared, accessible data and digital research tools so researchers can tackle the big challenges for our environment, which include adapting to climate change, saving threatened species, and reversing ecosystem deterioration.

We invite environmental researchers and decision makers to get involved in the consultations for the Planet Research Data Commons to help guide the development of the new digital research infrastructure.

The Planet Research Data Commons is the second of 2 pilot Thematic Research Data Commons launching in the 2022-23 financial year with an initial budget of $15.8 million. The first pilot, the People Research Data Commons, is focused on digital research infrastructure for health research. The Planet Research Data Commons will explore the digital research infrastructure needs for research challenges set out in the 2021 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap, including environment and climate resilience.

The Thematic Research Data Commons are enduring initiatives, with the digital research infrastructure capabilities being sustained and enhanced over the long-term.

Rosie Hicks, CEO, ARDC, said, “We are taking the expertise and capabilities of the ARDC and directing it with strategic focus towards supporting Australia’s researchers to tackle the big challenges for Australia’s environment through data.”

The Planet Research Data Commons will support environmental researchers to develop cross-sector and multi-disciplinary data collaborations on a national scale. It will integrate underpinning compute, storage infrastructure and services with analysis platforms and tools that are supported by expertise, standards and best practices. And it will bring together data from a range of sources to tackle the big questions.

Who Should Get Involved?

We’re taking a co-design approach to developing the Planet Research Data Commons through collaborative partnerships between research institutions, industry, government agencies and other relevant national stakeholders.

We invite all those involved in environmental research and decision making to participate in the consultation roundtables. That includes:

  • researchers from across the environmental sciences: ecologists (terrestrial, freshwater and marine), ecological modellers, marine scientists, ecological economists, conservation scientists, soil scientists, climate scientists, agricultural scientists, geoscientists, botanists, zoologists, urban planners, urban ecologists
  • Indigenous knowledge holders and Land, Water and Sea Country managers
  • industry — environmental management and planning
  • governments at all levels — policy makers, decision makers, analysts
  • non-governmental organisations
  • researchers from universities, research institutions and private companies.

The ARDC will develop and deliver digital research infrastructure in the Planet Research Data Commons through collaborative partnerships with Australian organisations, including the public and private sector, research institutions (such as universities and publicly funded research agencies), research infrastructure providers such as NCRIS facilities, and other relevant stakeholders.

Register Now to Join the Consultations

We are holding public consultation roundtables on 7, 10 and 12 October 2022. Register now >

Read more about the Planet Research Data Commons, and secure your spot at a consultation roundtable by registering now >

The ARDC is funded through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to support national digital research infrastructure for Australian researchers.