AI and ML Tools for Research
Access artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools for research via the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud and partner services.
Do More with AI and ML for Your Research
Australian researchers are applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in increasingly diverse and impactful ways – whether it’s predicting bushfire patterns, recognising bird calls, analysing texts, or improving healthcare diagnostics. As Australia’s digital research infrastructure experts, the ARDC and our partners are here to help.
Via the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud and services run by our partners, you can access a range of tools designed to help you make full use of AI and ML for your research.
How Our AI and ML Tools Support Your Research
Ben Chiu
Professor Jarrod Hurley
The ARDC Nectar Research Cloud and our partners offer a cost-effective, nationally supported alternative for using AI and ML in research.
AI is helping uncover patterns in massive datasets, automate complex tasks, interpret images and accelerate discoveries across fields such as health and medical science, environmental science, social research and digital humanities.
Research using AI and ML is exciting, but it’s not cheap. AI and ML algorithms are computationally intensive, often requiring the parallel processing power of graphics processing units (GPUs). Unlike traditional CPUs, GPUs can handle thousands of operations simultaneously, making them essential for training deep learning models, processing large datasets and running simulations efficiently.
While commercial cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud offer GPU access, the costs can be prohibitive for many researchers. Running a single AI experiment on a commercial cloud can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, especially when training large models or working with high-resolution data. These costs can quickly exceed research budgets, limiting access to cutting-edge tools.
This is where Australia’s investment in national research infrastructure comes in. The ARDC Nectar Research Cloud offers a cost-effective, nationally supported alternative. It provides Australian researchers with free or subsidised access to high-performance computing resources, including GPUs, tailored for research needs.
AI Ready
Easy access
Powerful environments
Designed for all
Collaboratively developed
Eligible researchers can access AI Ready via the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud. To use AI Ready with GPUs or persistent storage, you’ll need a Nectar allocation.
AI Ready is accessed using the Nectar Application Catalog, or by selecting one of the 5 images when launching an instance.
National GPU Service
Efficient access
Powering every need
Eligible researchers can access our National GPU Service via the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud.
To use the service, log into the Nectar dashboard and apply for an allocation.
Machine Learning eResearch Platform (MLeRP)
MLeRP allows users to develop and debug their algorithms while processing their dataset. Users can change compute requirements like RAM and GPU sizes and number of processes without leaving the notebook environment, and when their code is not being executed, compute resources can be released for other users.
MLeRP provides users with CPU-based Jupyter notebook sessions capable of basic analysis, with the ability to interactively send jobs to a SLURM queue for GPU or parallelised CPU acceleration through Dask. It combines the interactivity of a notebook and the power of an HPC environment.
MLeRP is available through open beta to all Australian and New Zealand researchers working with machine learning. It was developed by Monash University with ARDC co-investment through the National Machine Learning Service project.
FishID
FishID is a tool used to identify, count and measure aquatic animals and plants, developed with co-investment from the ARDC.
It is a robust and intuitive system for researchers to annotate imagery, train and evaluate deep learning models to accurately detect, identify and count species of interest across coastal and marine ecosystems.
The tool includes:
- an automated, integrated service for object detection and classification of underwater imagery, including an annotation tool, video analysis and output, improved user interface and public API
- training, including videos, documentation and full training packages to support uptake and use.
FishIDs has also been used to count beachgoers on Gold Coast beaches through drone images. By using the same software protocols and modifying AI algorithms, researchers repurposed the FishID tool to count people using beaches rather than aquatic life.
The AI algorithms in FishID are run on GPUs provided by the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud.
Machine Learning Community of Practice for Australia (ML4AU)
The Machine Learning Community of Practice for Australia (ML4AU) provides an opportunity for anyone interested in ML for research to collaborate over the emerging needs for ML capabilities and expertise in digital research.
ML4AU explores issues, challenges and interests of various machine learning communities, including:
- user communities who apply or intend to apply ML to their research, irrespective of their expertise levels
- practitioner communities who have hands-on expertise in ML and can assist others in applying ML
- training groups and volunteers interested in Machine Learning training development and delivery
- infrastructure providers who host specialist infrastructure for ML, like high performance computers.
ML4AU is co-facilitated by ARDC and Monash Data Science and AI Platform with members coming from academia and research support. ML4AU is free to join.
