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Government Data Management

National data storage project for Australian unis

By Clarice Africa | 7 February 2011

The University of Queensland has been selected by the Australian Government to lead a US$50 million data storage project to revamp the country’s research storage and enhance collaboration between academic institutions.

The Director of the Research Data Storage and Infrastructure (RDSI) Project, Dr. Nick Tate [pictured] told Futuregov Asia Pacific that the aim of the project is to make data storage for research purposes as widely available as possible.

The RDSI project would develop a national network of a limited number of distributed data stores where research data can be readily accessed, analysed and re-used in order to support the retention and integration of nationally significant data assets.

Tate added that the Australian Government has made substantial investments on a range of e-science projects that support research and innovation, and that the RDSI is one of the Government’s initiatives that would provide better research network capabilities to parts of Australia’s research and education sector.

“With the way research is going today it means there are larger and larger amounts of data being generated and collected from various agencies, universities, and research groups.

“Much of this data is heavily available to a wider audience and could allow researchers to collaborate with each other by using and re-using the data,” he said.

Tate added that by having more data available, researchers can generate more meaningful research outcomes and would also provide end-users with easier methods by which they can collaborate with other researchers.

The RDSI project, which Tate dubbed as an“investment towards a collaborative use of data”, started last month and is set to be finished in three years.

The project will be heavily funded by the Australian Government and will also receive co-investment from participating Universities and research groups.

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