The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) is a national-scale initiative that supports excellence in Australian research and innovation by enabling access to high-quality data, digital infrastructure, and data expertise.
Funded through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), the ARDC plays a strategic role in transforming how data is collected, managed, shared, and reused across the research sector. It does this by investing in infrastructure, services, platforms, and partnerships that make research data more FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).
The ARDC operates at the intersection of research, technology, and policy. It collaborates with universities, research organisations, government agencies, and industry to co-design national data assets and digital research services that address complex challenges across disciplines, including genomics, earth sciences, health, and social sciences.
Enabling high-impact, data-driven research across Australia requires coordinated national infrastructure—delivered through three strategic pillars: Data Commons, which bring together data, tools, compute, and governance in targeted domains like health and environmental science; Research Software and Platforms, supporting robust, reusable tools for analysis and collaboration; and People and Policy, focused on workforce development and shaping ethical, legal, and governance frameworks. These pillars are underpinned by priorities such as FAIR data, federated access, and strategic partnerships aligned with both national needs and global best practice.
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Affiliations Contributors
Editor
Australian BioCommons / University of Melbourne