PRESENTED BY

The Future Demands of Research Support: Facilitating Data Intensive Research

ARMS 2019 Adelaide

Paul Wong (joint work with Natalie Mast)

Australian Research Data Commons

● Established to address the National Research Infrastructure Roadmap priority● A part of National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)● Mission to transform the Australian research environment to achieve:

○ A world leading data advantage○ Accelerated innovation○ Collaboration for borderless research○ Enhanced translation of research

https://ardc.edu.au/

No advantage, innovation, collaboration and translation without people

What is Australia capability in eResearch?

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eResearch refers to the use of digital technologies to support/conduct research

As a part of the eResearch Skilled Workforce Summit held in July this year, ARDC commissioned two pieces of work:

Survey the scale of research-IT support workforce (Dr Markus Buchhorn)

https://ardc.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ARDC-National-Workforce-report-final-v3.pdf

The current and future state of eResearch workforce (Dr Natalie Mast)

https://ardc.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ARDC_InformationSheets.pdf

What is Australia capability in eResearch?

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● Data about eResearch support workforce in Australia and elsewhere is non-existing

● Both reports require extrapolation and interpretation of data collected

● The two reports are the beginning of a conversation ● What is missing? How can we build a better model /

understanding of eResearch? ● Need to value eResearch support: the sector needs to monitor

(including collecting data), coordinate and plan the future of that workforce.

The current and future state of eResearch

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impacts

● What does available data say about the current and future states?● Data sources: ABS, OECD, Scopus, government departments, etc● Apply input-output, “production” model of analysis

OECD ISSA2 survey

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62% of Australian respondents reported that they have produced new code/data in their published research articles in 2018.

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How much “data-related” articles are produced?

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Research workforce composition

Research support is uneven across sectors.Rise in researchers in universities is not proportionally reflected in rise in support staff.HDR students may be carrying the e-work for research.

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Survey result

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Research data support workforce

● around 2000 people (1500 EFT) are employed in the collection

and analysis of research data,

● around 2000 people (1100 EFT) are employed in its management

or stewardship,

● around 800 people (400 EFT) are employed in training/advising

researchers on research data

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Data Publication Per Researcher

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Mapping eResearch to ABS ANZ Standard Classifications (Industries, Occupations) to get the projection of the (compound) growth rate (http://lmip.gov.au/ & Deloitte Access Economics)

Low: 2% per annum (8.2% 5yr)Med: 3% per annum (12.5% 5yr)High: 4% per annum (16.9% 5yr)

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Deloitte Access Economics’ projection of “data science”

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Deloitte Access Economics’ projection of “data science”

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Consider this...

A warning: higher education’s growth is slower (3.9% 5yr) then the

overall economy (7.1% 5yr) - e-skilled workers will likely flow to the

private sector instead.

How would that affect your institutional research capability?

CONTACT

Australian Research Data CommonsAustralian National University9 Liversidge Street Acton ACT 2601 Australia

paul.wong@ardc.edu.au ardc.edu.au

With the exception of logos or where otherwise indicated, this work is licensed under the Creative Commons 4.0 International Attribution Licence.