Executive summary

Data is central to all research. Data, in its raw or processed form, from its original source (such as an ocean sensor) or via an analytical processor (such as the cores of a supercomputer), depends invariably on research infrastructure for its collection, generation, manipulation, characterisation, use and dissemination. Research data infrastructure refers to a range of facilities, equipment or tools that serve research through data generation, manipulation, curation, and access. It includes data itself.

The Australian Government has made significant investments in research data infrastructure, guided by principles set out in existing strategies. In light of newly developed sets of principles—in particular the Strategic Framework for Research Infrastructure Investment principles, which appear in the 2011 Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure—the Government established the RDIC. The committee reviewed the national research data landscape to provide advice on how to optimise existing and future investments in research data infrastructure.

Developed as the Australian Research Data Infrastructure Strategy, this advice provides a basis for policy makers, investors, developers, operators and users to build and sustain an effective and holistic Australian research data infrastructure system. It is a system that collects data systematically and intentionally, organises data to make it more valuable, and uses data insightfully many times over.

The strategy proposes three key requirements for a successful national research data infrastructure framework:

• sustained infrastructure to support priority research data collections, data generation and management
• appropriate data governance and access arrangements
• delivery of enhanced research outcomes from effective data infrastructure arrangements