ARDC Nectar Research Cloud

Nectar Research Cloud gives researchers access to computing infrastructure, software to conduct data analysis at scale.

• Free 6-month trial for all researchers in Australia.
• Free ongoing access for researchers undertaking national-scale research.
• Fast, interactive, self-service model.
• Scalable support for all research needs.
• A powerful and user-friendly collaborative platform.

Nectar is a national research cloud. We cater to all Field of Research codes. It’s already used by 35 Australian universities and 15 NCRIS facilities across Australia. Regardless of what institution you work at, our federated cloud’s homogenous platform provides you with a consistent look and feel.

We’ve been developing research computing over the past 10 years. We’ve simplified the process of sourcing, storing and collaborating with data to provide Australian researchers with the competitive edge.

Explore 10 key milestones in 10 years for the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud.

Nectar is a versatile cloud computing infrastructure that can be used in many different ways to support research, such as a virtual desktop for a single researcher, or as a powerful computational server that can be shared by researchers in Australia and internationally.

With Nectar, researchers can:

• connect to a suite of advanced research computing resources directly from your desktop at home or in the office.
• access large memory machines, GPUs, containers and orchestration as well as large scale compute, Jupyterhub software and virtual desktop.
• use a flexible, scalable and innovative world-class service that allows you to customise your computing infrastructure to meet the requirements of your research project.
• share and collaborate nationally and internationally, with shared access and data,  via AAF authentication to ensure your research meets the highest standards.
• access and rapidly deploy and share research software tools and data to easily collaborate with peers.
• benefit from centralised support and expert knowledge and continual development of a cloud designed for Australian researchers, offering the support you need to succeed in academia and beyond.

The ARDC hosts important services for researchers on Nectar, which can save time, boost your productivity and give you added power to conduct ground-breaking research.

Nectar’s versatile cloud infrastructure can be used in many different ways to support research, ranging from our new Virtual Desktop Service for a single researcher, to a powerful computational server that can be shared by researchers in Australia and internationally.

More services will come online throughout 2022, as we work to deliver Australian researchers’ cloud computing needs.

Learn more about the ARDC services powered by Nectar

Nectar can also be used to develop and host services, such as databases, data repositories, web portals and tools, and large-scale research platforms or virtual research environments.

Learn more about the digital services hosted on Nectar.

To use Nectar, use your AAF/institutional account to sign up for a new account and start your free trial.

Nectar offers many tutorials on how to use the platform. Its comprehensive support centre has answers to many common questions as well as detailed support articles.

Follow our step-by-step guide to access the Nectar Research Cloud.

Build your practical cloud skills and knowledge with Nectar Research Cloud learning resources, which have varying modes of delivery to suit every user’s needs. 

• View knowledge base articles
• Use our self-paced tutorials
• Join a live training session – see upcoming sessions via our events.