AuScope signs MoU with Geoscience Australia
AuScope and Geoscience Australia representatives signing a five-year Memorandum of Understanding on Ngunnawal Country / Canberra in June. From left AuScope CEO Dr Tim Rawling, Dr Andrew Heap, Dr Chris Pigram and Geoscience Australia Chief Scientist Dr Steve Hill. Image: AuScope
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AuScope and Geoscience Australia (GA) lays the groundwork for geoscience collaboration.
MoU overview
Acting GA CEO Dr Andrew Heap and AuScope Chairperson Dr Chris Pigram, together with GA Chief Scientist Dr Steve Hill and AuScope CEO Dr Tim Rawling, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding on the 14th of June to integrate the ongoing efforts and essential roles that both organisations play in supporting Earth and Geospatial science research in Australia.
“Both AuScope and Geoscience Australia provide research and data infrastructure capability to support Australian geoscience, and together, in partnership, we aim to meet the needs of our Australian geoscience research community across academia, government and Industry.” – Dr Andrew Heap
The new MOU provides the foundation for collaboration by outlining each organisation’s roles and responsibilities, data sharing and delivery activities, and our joint approach to community development over the next five years.
Since AuScope and Geoscience Australia released their strategic plans, a common question has been how these two groups differ and work together. This MoU highlights those differences and the common ground where interactions and engagement are best facilitated.
It is a great multiplier of effort and resources where the national public sector Earth science entity (Geoscience Australia) works closely with Australia’s provider of infrastructure to the Earth and Geospatial sciences (AuScope).
There are currently numerous fantastic examples of collaboration between the two organisations that we will build from in the coming years. These include:
AuScope Geospatial, including the VLBI telescopes and GNSS network
Geoscience data delivery, including the Auscope Virtual Research Environment, Virtual Geophysics Laboratory and AGSON (previously known as AusGIN)
Development of national and international standards in geophysics, geochemistry and geospatial data delivery
MinEx CRC collaborations
AUTHORS
Dr Tim Rawling & Philomena Manifold