NCRIS explained


Australia’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) ensures that researchers have access to the facilities, equipment and resources they need to produce world-class research. These resources range from supercomputers and microscopes to datasets and software platforms, all provided through 27 NCRIS projects and facilities — including AuScope — around Australia.

With the tools, technology and talent provided by NCRIS, researchers are about to address Australia’s grand challenges related to society and environment.


NCRIS Scope

According to the Department of Education, administrators of the NCRIS portfolio, NCRIS comprises 274 active projects, a network of over 400 delivery partnerships, and a workforce of over 1500 highly skilled technical experts, researchers and facility managers. The 2018-19 NRI Census revealed around 51,000 Australian and 10,000 international users are supported every year. Discover each of our peers:

A recent Lateral Economics report found that the direct benefit of investment in NCRIS is calculated to be above a $7 return for every $1 invested, which is a return on investment (ROI) of 7.5:1. The report notes that by 2022-23 this level of investment could support the employment of an additional 1,750 scientific and technical staff, support staff, and supply chain and industry staff.


The NCRIS community

We joined our NCRIS peers in publishing a video series for National Science Week 2022 titled Asteroids to Oceans that outlines the ways that each organisation facilitates multidisciplinary research across Australia.

Dr Voon Hui Lai from the Australian National University presents our AuScope NCRIS video. Check out all 27 NCRIS videos here!

Meet our peers from the National Earth and Environmental Facilities Forum (NEESFF) group within NCRIS. 

Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)

The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)

Terrestrial ecosystem data collection, integration & delivery (TERN)

Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF)

Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)

Marine National Facility CSIRO (MNF)

Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN)

National Computational Infrastructure (NCI)

Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet)


National Earth and Environmental Facilities Forum (NEESFF)

AuScope is a part of the National Earth and Environmental Science Facilities Forum (NEESFF), a collection of NCRIS and other organisations that works to harness the capacity of its environmentally-focused capabilities to collectively create solutions and deliver the information needed for sustainable development and use of environmental resources.

NEESFF’s vision is an effective and coordinated response to global environmental conditions in a uniquely Australian context. Our environment is changing at unprecedented rates as human populations rely on environmental assets within the framework of rapid climate change and population growth. These multiple and cumulative pressures make it more important than ever to study and understand the status and trends of our environment in an ecologically responsible and cost-effective way.


NEESFF Organisations

  • The ALA is Australia’s national biodiversity data infrastructure. It allows researchers, decision makers and the community to contribute, access and analyse data on Australia’s plants, animals and fungi. The ALA also supports international research by providing Australian biodiversity data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

  • APPF is a world-leading infrastructure facility that underpins innovative research to accelerate the development of new and improved crops, healthier food and more sustainable agricultural practice in the face of changing climate. Our services and technology are centred on phenotyping- using sensors, cameras, robotics and data analytics to measure and understand plant and crop function, as influenced by the combination of genotype, growing environment and growth management practices. The services and enabling technologies we operate range from sophisticated controlled environments through to in-field research infrastructure platforms.

  • AuScope is Australia’s provider of research infrastructure to the Earth and Geospatial Science community. Our tools, data, services and analytics enable scientists to understand Earth’s evolution through time and explore how Earth resources may support growing human demands.

    In a time where population growth and other factors are placing increasingly complex demands on our environment, Australia’s geoscience questions include finding the right (critical) minerals and sustainable energy systems in increasingly complex exploration environments. Also, fully characterising and protecting groundwater for growing agricultural use and understanding geohazards is imperative.

    We help researchers address these questions through shared and free use of our infrastructure. We also support national leadership and collaboration across groups to make sure we are best addressing (and planning for) key national challenges together. AuScope holds a unique position in the national geoscience landscape by serving researchers primarily in academia and government, but also in industry, working closely with our partners Geoscience Australia and CSIRO.

  • Bioplatforms Australia is the NCRIS-enabled national provider of research infrastructure in the fields of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics. It supports Australian life science research by promoting access to state-of-the-art technologies and expertise through a network of 16 'omics facilities around Australia. In addition to this research capability, Bioplatforms Australia assists the research community via national-scale research collaborations and the generation of data resources of national importance – ultimately contributing to Australia’s health, environmental, economic and social well being.

  • Geoscience Australia is the national public sector geoscience organisation. Its mission is to be the trusted source of information on Australia's geology and geography for government, industry and community decision making. Its work covers the Australian landmass, Australian marine jurisdiction and responsible jurisdictions in Antarctica.GA supports evidence-based decisions through data, information, advices and services for a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment through six key impact areas:

    ● Building Australia’s resource wealth;

    ● Supporting Australia’s community safety;

    ● Securing Australia’s water resources;

    ● Managing Australia’s marine jurisdictions;

    ● Creating a location-enabled Australia; and,

    ● Enabling an informed Australia.

  • IMOS operates a wide range of observing equipment throughout Australia’s coastal and open oceans with the overarching goal of delivering benefits to Australia by undertaking systematic, sustained and scientifically-robust observations of our vast and valuable marine estate for use by the marine and climate science community, industry, management and international collaborators.

  • TERN is a field-based land observatory. Using remote sensing, automated instruments and field surveys, TERN describes and monitors the condition of our land-based ecosystems and the vital processes within them. It provides easy access for anyone – community members, policy-makers and industry leaders, and especially, researchers – to national time series information about the ecosystems on which our livelihoods, lifestyles and identity depend.

  • MNF provides a blue-water research capability to the Australian research community and their international collaborators. The MNF is funded by the Australian Government and owned and operated by CSIRO on behalf of the nation. The MNF comprises the ocean-class vessel RV Investigator, which enables research from the tropical north to the ice edge, advanced multidisciplinary scientific equipment and instrumentation, a repository of almost 40 years of marine data, and personnel with the expertise required to manage an ocean-going research platform and support vessel users. The research done on MNF voyages provides important information that supports evidence-based decision-making by government, industry and other stakeholders. Our goal is to enhance the long-term viability and prosperity of the Australian marine environment, industries and society.

  • AURIN provides the critical infrastructure and related human expertise that helps researchers generate the new outputs, knowledge and insights from data-driven research on the built-environment. This will deliver economically prosperous cities and regions that are socially equitable, sustainable and environmentally resilient. AURIN provides support across the economic, engineered (physical), social and environmental dimensions of the built environment by enabling access to high-value national-scale spatially enabled data, the development, deployment and maintenance of digital research platforms, supporting new data and methodological approaches, and the provision of expert user-focused research support and training.

  • The ARDC enables Australian researchers to better access and use data. They provide and support data, research analysis platforms, data expertise, and digital data skills and training.

  • The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is Australia’s national weather, climate and water agency, providing a wide range of products and services to support informed decision-making by governments, emergency services, industry and the community. BOM’s products and services include a range of observations, forecasts, warnings, analyses and advice covering Australia’s atmosphere, water, ocean and space environments spanning the Australian region and Antarctic territory. Its expertise and services assist Australians to manage and live within their natural environment. BOM is one of the few organisations in Australia that touches the lives of all Australians every day and provides one of the most fundamental and widely used services of the Australian Government and State and Territory Governments. Since 1908, BOM has proudly provided an extraordinary array of products and services that have contributed to economic prosperity, public safety and community well-being.

  • E2SIP is an an Australian community of practice in earth and environmental science informatics led by CSIRO that develops data standards in support of Earth and environmental data management and exchange. We undertake this in collaboration with various international partners, including the Open Geospatial Consortium, the World Wide Web Consortium, and the Earth Science Information Partners, coordinating most of the NEESFF facilities through regular technical sessions and meetings.

  • NCI provides high performance computing to Australian researchers, government and industry. They also provide storage and data services. NCI’s services and expertise support many important research outcomes. Many research areas need large amounts of computing time and data, including environment, climate change, energy and medicine.

  • AARNet is a not-for-profit company that provides ultra high-speed Internet and communications services only to Australia's research and education sector. Our customers are universities, research institutes, cultural organisations, schools and vocational training providers.

 
 

MORE INFORMATION
For more information please visit The Department of Education’s
NCRIS page,
or download the
NCRIS Factsheet.


DISCOVER
Read the 2021 National Research Infrastructure (NRI) Roadmap from the Department of Education that articulates the Australian Government’s priorities in NRI investment, including via NCRIS (AuScope’s funding pathway).

 

NCRIS NEWS