ARDC and Phenomics Australia Partner to Improve Discoverability of Model Data for Health Research

The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) and Phenomics Australia have launched the Phenomics Model Discovery Project, a national initiative to make it easier for researchers to find and use model data in health and biomedical research.

Preclinical research often relies on specialised models such as cell lines or genetically modified organisms that help scientists investigate disease mechanisms and develop new therapies. However, researchers frequently face challenges locating the right model and data, with information scattered across multiple repositories and described in inconsistent ways.

“This project will transform how researchers find and use critical model data, removing barriers that slow progress and enabling faster breakthroughs in understanding and treating disease,” said Ms Sarah Nisbet, Director of Digital Platforms at Phenomics Australia.

The Phenomics Model Discovery Project will address these challenges by:

• assessing the current state of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) data maturity and Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) usage in two key repositories, the Australian Phenome Bank and the Australian Stem Cell Registry
• developing a harmonised metadata and PID framework to improve data consistency and interoperability
• piloting selected improvements, including a prototype discovery portal, to demonstrate how harmonised data can support better search, access, and reuse
• creating a plan for scaling these approaches to other Phenomics Australia resources in the future.

Dr Adrian Burton, Director of the People Research Data Commons at ARDC, highlighted the broader significance of the work: “ARDC wants to make it easier for researchers to find data for health and medical research. We are working on data findability in a consistent way across NCRIS facilities, research institutions as well as commonwealth and state government health data sets. To address societal health challenges, researchers increasingly need data from multiple perspectives. Phenomics Australia’s disease models will now be part of that data commons mobilising data to improve health outcomes for society.”

The project runs from August 2025 to June 2027 and is an ARDC co-investment partnership with Phenomics Australia. It is part of the ARDC People Research Data Commons’ FAIR Data Assets focus area and contributes to national efforts to integrate research infrastructure for greater impact.

Learn more about the Phenomics Model Discovery Project.

The Phenomics Model Discovery Project is a co-investment partnership with the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through the People Research Data Commons (DOI: 10.3565/w89g-jk14). The ARDC and Phenomics Australia are enabled by the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).