Funding is currently provided to the following projects through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
On this page:
Information on how projects are chosen can be found on the National Research Infrastructure page, and detailed funding information can be found in the NCRIS Guidelines.
A list of currently funded projects is provided below.
If you are an academic or industry researcher who would like specific information on the services, technical specifications and access arrangements of NCRIS infrastructure, visit the NCRIS portal.
Australian Access Federation (AAF)
The AAF is Australia’s leading provider of identity and access management services to the education and research sector. We are trust and identity experts and an NCRIS capability enabling researchers to enjoy a more cohesive network of services. The AAF is leading the development for a common set of policies, standards, and technologies, creating a more connected and collaborative research ecosystem, accessible by industry, research and government.
Astronomy Australia Ltd (AAL)
AAL helps Australian-based astronomers to access the best observatories in the world. They also help these astronomers to access high-performance computers to analyse their data.
AAL supports several different facilities in Australia that boost astronomy research. AAL also helps researchers to work with astronomy facilities overseas.
Astronomy Australia website
Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)
The ALA is Australia’s national biodiversity database. It lets people share, access and analyse data about Australia’s plants, animals and fungi. It is used by researchers, decision makers such as the government, and the community.
The ALA also supports international biodiversity research. It does this by providing Australian data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Atlas of Living Australia website
AuScope
AuScope provides research infrastructure to Australia's Earth and Geospatial Science community, enabling access, creation, analysis and sharing of data about Earth as it has evolved over time.
As Earth continues to change — naturally and a result of human impact — scientists can also start to predict changes in the future, and how these might affect future generations.
AuScope website
Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP)
ACDP is Australia's national biocontainment facility. They study both human and animal diseases. They have the highest possible level of safety measures to allow them to safely research the most dangerous diseases in the world.
Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness website.
Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS)
ACCESS uses a wide range of environment data and combines the data to be able to predict the weather. This project made the existing ACCESS an NRI project and brings experts together allowing them to collaborate. This helps Australia predict bushfires, farm more effectively, and supports climate change research.
Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator website
Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)
ANFF enables users to process, transform and manufacture materials. This includes hard materials such as metals and ceramics, and soft materials such as polymers.
These materials have a wide range of uses across many fields of research and industry. ANFF helps researchers access these tools and trains researchers in how to use them.
Australian National Fabrication Facility website
Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF)
This project measures the physical qualities of plants, also called the “phenotype” of a plant. The APPF provides phenotyping technology, expertise and data to support the development of new and improved crops. They also contribute to developing more secure and healthier food, sustainable and profitable agricultural practices, and plant-based pharmaceuticals.
Australian Plant Phenomics Facility website
Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)
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.
Australian Research Data Commons website
Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN)
AURIN is a national platform that helps researchers and decision makers to access detailed, curated, and easy-to-use data about people in Australian towns and cities. They also provide high-quality tools to access, analyse and visualise the data. They work with researchers, industry, and government on research in many areas. AURIN users and data partners also contribute software and data to AURIN to further research efforts across Australia.
Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network website
Bioplatforms Australia (BPA)
Bioplatforms Australia helps researchers access equipment to study DNA, proteins, small biological molecules and ways to redesign organisms for new purposes. They also provide access and training in specialised computing and software services, as this research uses large amounts of data. This helps researchers analyse and share their data, and allows them to work in partnership with researchers worldwide.
Bioplatforms Australia website
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia
EMBL Australia enables Australian researchers access to cutting-edge infrastructure and scientific services in Europe via Australia's associate membership of EMBL and actively fosters the growth of the next generation of life science researchers in Australia. The EMBL Australia Partner Laboratory Network's unique model supports ambitious research projects and provides training to early-career Australian scientists and emerging research leaders.
EMBL Australia website
Heavy Ion Accelerators (HIA)
HIA upgrades Australia’s heavy ion accelerators to be the best in the world, and helps researchers and industry access them. This helps us to understand the world at a very detailed level, which is important for research in many areas and for industry uses such as mining exploration. It also lets us create useful new materials and technology.
Heavy Ion Accelerators website
Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)
This is a national system for collecting multiple types of data in the oceans around Australia. The data is publicly available, and it also feeds into international datasets. This data enables ocean research that has benefits for Australian society, our environment and our economy.
Integrated Marine Observing System website
Marine National Facility (MNF)
MNF has ships with equipment to study Australian seas, and how they interact with the land, air, and plant and animal life. This helps Australia better understand and protect our environment.
Microscopy Australia (MAU)
Microscopy Australia provides access to sophisticated microscopes and expertise across the country. They choose their locations strategically so they can support high-impact research in a wide range of fields.
Microscopy Australia website
National Computational Infrastructure (NCI)
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.
National Computational Infrastructure website
National Deuteration Facility (NDF)
This project created Australia’s only deuteration facility and one of the very few in the world. Deuteration means to replace the hydrogen atoms in a molecule with deuterium. Deuterium is a heavy isotope of hydrogen.
This helps researchers understand those molecules better and how they interact with themselves and others, and also creates useful new materials with superior properties. At the NDF, deuteration can be done using chemical and/or biological techniques.
National Deuteration Facility website
National Imaging Facility (NIF)
NIF is a national network of state-of-the-art imaging equipment and expertise for human, animal, plant and material research.
National Imaging Facility website
National Sea Simulator (SeaSim)
SeaSim is a world-class marine research aquarium facility. This project will expand the SeaSim current facilities, and create a merit-based pathway for external users. SeaSim will allow Australian and international scientists to research the impact of complex environmental changes.
National Sea Simulator website
Nuclear Science Facilities (NSF)
This project has two major components, and both analyse samples at the sub-atomic level. The Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering (ACNS) uses beams of neutrons, the neutral particles found inside atoms, to understand the structure of matter. The Centre for Accelerator Science (CAS) uses accelerators, machines that propel particles to high speeds, to unravel key information stored in the sample make-up, or to bombard materials with radiation to test how they behave.
Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering website
Centre for Accelerator Science website
Pawsey Supercomputing Centre (Pawsey)
Pawsey provides high performance computing to researchers across Australia. They also help their users store and visualise their data.
Many research fields have large amounts of data to store and analyse. This includes astronomy, life sciences, medicine, energy, resources and artificial intelligence.
Pawsey Supercomputing Centre website
Phenomics Australia (PA)
This project provides Australian and international researchers with cell, tissue and animal models to study disease, underpinning what is widely known as Precision Medicine. They also have experts to help researchers study their models and manage their research projects. This helps us to better understand what genes do, find genetic causes of diseases, and create better health treatments.
Phenomics Australia website
Population Health Research Network (PHRN)
The PHRN connects a diverse range of data about people in Australia from state, territory and federal governments. Researchers use the linked data to improve health and wellbeing for people in Australia and worldwide. Governments also use the data to make health and human services more efficient and effective. The data is linked and shared in highly secure environments in ways that minimise risks to privacy.
Population Health Research Network website
Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet (Coastal Vessels)
This project coordinates research vessels, which are used to monitor the ocean around Australia. It will help coordinate the vessels in the south, east and west of Australia and give researchers more time on them. It will also help plan a new vessel for southern Australia.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN)
TERN collects environmental data and samples from around Australia by doing field surveys, using remote-sensing technologies such as drones and satellites, and by monitoring specific sites across the country in great detail. TERN shares these data to enable Australia’s world-leading research on climate change, biodiversity, water and soil.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network website
Therapeutic Innovation Australia (TIA)
TIA is focussed on helping researchers turn their discoveries into new treatments for the health sector. It also looks for areas where there are gaps in the tools, services and expertise needed for medical research and helps to fill those gaps.
Therapeutic Innovation Australia website
Other work
National Collections Building
NCRIS is supporting a building project with the CSIRO. This project will create a dedicated facility to safely house national biological collections.
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia
NCRIS funds Australia's Associate Membership of EMBL. EMBL is a network of molecular biology facilities in Europe. EMBL Australia is a network of researchers in Australia who work together to make best use of the EMBL membership.
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia website
Synthetic Biology – Biofoundry
Synthetic biology creates new biological molecules and systems. These are created at facilities called Biofoundries. This work will create a national BioFoundry to connect current facilities and create new ones. This is useful in many areas of research, especially agriculture and medicine. The BPA NCRIS project is leading this work.
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research Data Commons
HASS research helps us to better understand culture, society, and human wellbeing. It helps us to understand the past, interpret the world we live in, and imagine the future. This work, led by the ARDC NCRIS project, makes it easier to access, search, analyse and reuse quality data in HASS disciplines.
Supporting Indigenous Research Capability Program
The ARDC is working with the Indigenous Data Network at the University of Melbourne on this program. Together, they aim to understand and improve how culturally sensitive data is managed. The program will help Indigenous organisations in Australia to manage and share data into the future.
Scoping Studies
For information about other scoping studies the department is considering in national research infrastructure, please see the scoping studies page.