Policy Program

The Challenge

Australia requires effective national data policies to underpin and support research activities that solve our nation’s key economic, social and environmental challenges.

Improving research data policies will:

• enhance outcomes for researchers, government and industry
• increase collaboration with international and private sector partners
• enhance productivity growth nationally.

The Approach

The ARDC’s Policy Program advocates for a coherent data policy environment so that Australia’s research data infrastructure can accelerate innovation and foster engagement between Australian and international researchers, governments and industry.

While neither a policy nor lobbyist organisation, we contribute to public discourse and influence policy owners whose rules affect the access, use and publishing of data by and for researchers.

Our activities include:

• monitoring policy proposals and changes
• engaging in policy dialogue nationally and globally
• advocating for policy reform
• building the research data policy capability of stakeholders
• sponsoring targeted projects that inform policy advice.

Collaboration

We firmly believe a shared vision of the policy settings are necessary to optimise the flow of research data and enable successful national research data infrastructure.

We collaborate with a range of stakeholders that includes:

• international organisations (for example, UNESCO, OECD)
• Australian government organisations (such as the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, chief scientists)
• research funding bodies (such as ARC, NHMRC)
• peak bodies (like Universities Australia)
• learned academies (such as AAH, ATSE)
• research organisations (for example, CSIRO, medical research institutes).

Target Outcomes

The following are the outcomes we strive to achieve from our program outputs:

• stakeholders understand the range of policy options and ARDC recommendations
• stakeholders are aware of the value ARDC and NCRIS provide nationally
• policies incorporate ARDC advice reflecting an emerging and coherent vision.