How we work

Meet our team

The DRAC team act as facilitators across a broad portfolio. The team focus on strategic areas such as research data management, research software engineering, and digital infrastructure, tools, resources and support, and provide advice and support across the areas below.

Previous convenors

• A/Prof Kate Coleman, Education
• Dr Kristal Spreadborough, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform (alum)
• A/Prof Alexandre Fournier-Level, BioSciences

Main functions

Faculty academic convenorship

Academic consultation across the academy on university digital research initiatives and policies

• Consultation and communication of Faculty needs regarding central digital research infrastructure and services
• Engagement across Faculties regarding central digital research services and strategies including platforms, Research Computing Services and Scholarly Services
• Engagement with Faculty leadership (e.g. Deans, Associate Deans of Research (CADRE) and Faculty Research Managers)
• Support and advancement of channels to direct researchers to appropriate digital research teams and resources
• Engagement with MCRIP Platforms including liaison with the Melbourne Data Analytics Platform (MDAP)
• Support for digital research skills training engagement.

External academic engagement (digital focus)

An academic focal point for Australian digital activities requiring University-wide response or engagement

• Provide convening functions for UoM responses to strategic national digital consultations
• Provide convening functions around LIEF grant submissions
• Contribute to national schemes and initiatives via NCRIS and related schemes.

Get in touch with the team

Strategic focus areas

Current priorities as part of Advancing Research 2030

The DRAC team is advancing and coordinating work, in conjunction with stakeholders, to streamline and improve internal digital communications and enablers for researchers, to improve the awareness, access, use and support of digital research infrastructure, tools, and resources at the University. This work is enabled through Advancing Research 2030.

This work encompasses the following initiatives:

• Get it done on Gateway
• Digital research support request portal
• Researcher first communications

Current DRAC priorities

Convenorship as part of the research infrastructure governance model, digital research infrastructure and services

Embeding academic priorities in Digital Research Infrastructure and Services planning and implementation.

• Contribute to development of research infrastructure and services roadmaps. This will refine academic convenorship activities such as those below:
  • Convene regular meetings of key staff across organisational boundaries
  • Articulate academic needs to assist in the planning of procurement and services
  • Support researcher participation in the Demand Process
  • Convene academic and other stakeholder consultation for the above areas
• Work collaboratively to help define academic convenorship roles in the coming years.

Research data management (RDM)

Advance RDM policy, RDM capabilities and direction

• Support embedding of RDM policy through Faculties and central University teams
• Advocate for and advise on RDM service and infrastructure development and delivery
• Assist in building a roadmap for future RDM developments to cater for emerging academic needs
• Focus on sensitive research data and stewardship
• Focus on secure research environments e.g. Citrix Secure Environments and faculty initiatives like MIDL and Patron

We work closely with the Research Data Management Program PC team in this area.

Who we work with

We work alongside platforms, service providers, Faculties, business units and research teams across the University. In particular we work closely with:

• AI in Research Academic Convenorship, Dr Mel Mistica, Dr Sam Baron
• Student and Scholarly Services, in particular Justin Shearer, Associate Director, Research and Allie Smith, Manager Digital Stewardship, Research
• Research Data Management, led by Jared Winton
• Melbourne Data Analytics Platform (MDAP), led by A/ Prof Nic Geard
• Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics (CAIDE), led by Prof Jeannie Paterson
• Melbourne eResearch Group (MEG), led by Prof Richard Sinnot
• Researcher Development Unit, led by Prof Katrina Skewes McFerran
• Digital Studio, led by Prof David Goodman
• Methods and Implementation Support for Clinical and Health research Hub (MISCH), led by Prof Julie Simpson
• Research Computing Services, led by Dr Stephen Giugni
• Statistical Consulting Centre, led by Prof Ian Gordon
• Melbourne Collaborative Research Infrastructure Committee (MCRIC), chair Prof Mark Hargreaves