ARDC Research Link Australia

The Challenge

Collaboration among research, industry, business and government is critical for innovation in Australia. It drives productivity, economic growth, improves quality of living and planet health, and enables us to address some of the most pressing problems facing society, like healthcare and medicine, and food security.

An important step to enable this collaboration is connection. Better connection will help researchers and innovators find the collaborators and resources they need. This space is already evolving with:

• significant government investment to support translation and reshape the research and innovation landscape
• the data ecosystem improving as more research data and government data become openly available
• improved quality of information available, which enables the creation of information networks of people, projects, research outputs, etc. for deriving research capability.

The Response

The ARDC has a history of partnering with research organisations, building networks of data and people, providing national infrastructure and information services, with long-term interests in the ‘information ecosystem’ and promoting standards. To further boost the success of all services and activities that are linking universities and research organisations, businesses, industry and government, the ARDC has delivered the Research Link Australia (RLA) project with dedicated funding from the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

The project has developed a technical platform and a strategic framework that enables information sharing and improvement, connecting researchers and innovators. The platform leverages the ARDC’s existing national data catalogue Research Data Australia, information standards, services, technology capabilities and networks. For more information, see the RLA product page.

The ARDC adopted a consultative and co-design approach to working with government bodies, key data agencies, research-industry facilitators, businesses and research communities. This included 4 months of initial consultations, followed by 4 co-design workshops, held between May and August 2023. This ensured project developments and priorities were based on stakeholder needs. RLA is continuing with this approach to ensure we iteratively improve the platform together.

RLA has an Advisory Committee with members from diverse backgrounds in research and industry collaborations. The Committee was formed in May 2023, and current members include:

• Wee-Ming Boon, Director, NHMRC Translation Projects and Advice Research Translation.
• Saraid Billiards, CEO, Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI)
• Adrian Burton, Deputy CEO, ARDC
• Jeff Cumpston, Manager of Data Analytics, Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
• George Feast, Deputy Director, CSIRO SME Connect
• Anita Gibson, Project Manager, Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)
• Murray Hurps, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, UTS
• Mark Hutchinson, President, Science and Technology Australia
• Natasha Simons, Director, National Coordination, ARDC
• Teneille Tress, Manager Research and Collaboration Policy, Science Division, Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources
• Martie-Louise Verreynne, Professor and Associate Dean, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, University of Queensland
• a representative of the Australian Government Department of Education (to be decided).

Past members include:

• Linda Arnold, Director, Research Strategy and Analysis, Research Policy and Programs, Research Division, Australian Government Department of Education
• Stuart Newman, CEO, Therapeutic Innovation Australia
• representatives for Research and Collaboration Policy, Science Division, Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Partner Projects

RLA has worked with and will continue to work with stakeholders and community groups in focused activities to understand needs, identify data sources, and shape and test RLA’s design and capability:

RLA Data Community of Practice Health and Wellbeing

A data-driven approach to enhancing understanding of research-industry collaborations in wellbeing, as part of the…

Exploreabout RLA Data Community of Practice Health and Wellbeing

Sailing the Marine Knowledge Landscape with RLA

To make fishing and aquaculture research and development project details more discoverable, accessible and usable,…

Exploreabout Sailing the Marine Knowledge Landscape with RLA

The Lens Global Patent Information for RLA

Connecting patents to researchers and research organisations to drive collaboration and innovation from research to…

Exploreabout The Lens Global Patent Information for RLA

National Aggregator of University Research Capability Data on RLA

Streamlining the collection and sharing of research expertise and capability data from Australian universities, as…

Exploreabout National Aggregator of University Research Capability Data on RLA

Who Will Benefit

• Universities and research organisations 
• Industry and businesses
• Government

Grow RLA with Us

The RLA platform is now live, and your feedback will be most helpful. Use RLA today and talk to us using the in-site feedback form.