The dramatic ways in which technology has improved researchers’ ability to collect, process, share, analyse, store and re-use information will be discussed at a conference in Melbourne next week.
“Researchers, practitioners and educators from diverse disciplines will explore innovative ways that advanced information and communications technologies are being used in research,” said conference chair Dr Nick Tate from The University of Queensland.
eXtreme eResearch is the theme of the eResearch Australasia conference, now in its fifth year.
“The conference allows people to share ideas and exemplars on new information-centric research capabilities,” said Dr Tate, project director for the Commonwealth-funded Super Science Research Data Storage Infrastructure project, led by UQ.
He said e-research was experiencing “an exhilarating time”, partly due to the Australian Government’s significant investment in data storage and collaboration infrastructure, which had been instrumental in driving the sector’s rapid growth in recent years.
Conference speakers include:
• Jan Brase, managing agent, DataCite
• Peter Fox, Tetherless World Constellation chair
• Professor Bryan Heidorn, director, School of Information Resources and Library Science, University of Arizona and president, JRS Biodiversity Foundation.
The Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) is the platinum sponsor of this year’s conference.
DIISR, together with the Australian eResearch Infrastructure Council, will host a forum titled Australian eResearch Infrastructure 2012 and Beyond on day 2 of the conference.
Sponsors and other e-research groups will display and demonstrate their work at next week’s conference, which will run from Monday to Wednesday, followed by workshops on Thursday and Friday.
UQ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Max Lu, will officially open eResearch Australasia 2011, to be held at the Sebel and Citigate, Albert Park, Melbourne from 6-11 November 2011. The conference is also supported by the Victorian Government Department of Business and Innovation.
Gold sponsors are EMC Corporation, HP, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, Intel, Optus Business, Oracle and SGI, plus Australian eResearch providers eResearchSA, Intersect, iVEC, QCIF, TPAC, VPAC and Cisco.
Silver sponsors are DataDirect Networks, Lenovo ANZ and XENON Systems. Bronze sponsors are Frontline Systems, Panasas, State Government of Victoria - Department of Business and Innovation and VeRSI. HPCwire is the media sponsor.
Exhibitors and supporters include AARNet, ANDS, ANU Supercomputer Facility / NCI, AusCERT, CSIRO eResearch, eresearch@QUT, Monash University eResearch Centre, NeCTAR, QFAB, RDSI, Sirca, UQ, Swinburne University, University of Melbourne eResearch / AURIN, VLSCI Box Hill TAFE and Central Queensland University.
Media: Nick Tate, conference chair, UQ, ph +61 (0) 412 674 010; Alice Stokes, UQ, ph +61 7 3365 2030, 0419 477 490. Fiona Cameron, UQ Communications, ph +61 7 3346 7086
