People Research Data Commons Program Consultations Kick Off

Our new People Research Data Commons program will tackle Australia’s biggest health research data challenges
An elderly woman being shown images of her brain

Banner image: The People Research Data aims to help health and biomedical researchers improve research translation and research impact through data.

The ARDC is excited to launch a new digital research infrastructure program, called the People Research Data Commons, to support health and biomedical researchers in solving some of Australia’s biggest societal health and medical challenges for Australia. The new program is starting with consultations with the health research community.

Health research is a national priority with significant research underway on innovation and industry activity dedicated to the translation of this research so that it benefits the wider community.

Supported by initial funding of $15.8 million to establish two pilot Thematic Research Data Commons in the 2022-2023 financial year, the program will be sustained by ongoing funding commitments and will accelerate research impact through data and evidence-based health care improvements.

The People Research Data Commons will support health and biomedical researchers to develop cross-sector and multi-disciplinary data collaborations on a national scale through federated models. It will integrate underpinning compute, storage infrastructure and services with analysis platforms and tools that are supported by expertise, standards and best practices.

The program will use existing infrastructure and services such as the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud, Research Data Australia, Research Vocabularies Australia and persistent identifier services, and build on the success of ARDC-led programs such as the Health Studies Australian National Data Asset program.

“We are taking the existing expertise and capabilities of the ARDC and directing it with strategic focus towards solving Australia’s health challenges,” said Rosie Hicks, CEO, ARDC.

Consultation phase is now open

The program will begin with initial partner consultations to determine what the People Research Data Commons should deliver and how it might be delivered collaboratively with our partners.

Registrations of interest are now open, with roundtable meetings to consult with the community on 1 and 2 June 2022.

“We are taking a co-design approach to the development of the Commons through collaborative partnerships with research institutions, industry, government agencies and other relevant national stakeholders,” said Anitha Kannan, Program Lead.

The People Research Data Commons is one of two pilot Thematic Research Data Commons to be established in the 2022-2023 financial year. The second pilot will focus on the environment and agriculture.

Learn more about the program, and attend one of the upcoming People RDC roundtables by registering now.

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