This week the Department of Industry, Science and Resources announced a set of revitalised National Science and Research Priorities, designed to emphasise the scientific and research collaborations Australia will need to address its greatest national challenges.
The new priorities are:
- transitioning to a net zero future
- supporting healthy and thriving communities
- elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders knowledge systems
- protecting and restoring Australia’s environment
- building a secure and resilient nation.
As a national research infrastructure, funded through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), AURIN is in an exciting position to support these priorities.
We’re also very glad to see that the new priorities align strongly with our current strategy, which identifies several key challenges Australia’s cities, towns and regional centres will face in coming decades: adapting to the impact of climate change; facilitating energy transitions in all sectors; and delivering adequate housing and social infrastructure to a population characterised by significant demographic transitions.
Science and research will play a critical role in Australia’s ability to understand and respond to these large-scale issues, and at AURIN we have a clear view of the importance of up-to-date data and technological tools in allowing decision-makers and researchers to pursue new solutions and ways of thinking.
As a strategic framework for looking at Australia’s future, the national priorities present a great opportunity to refocus our efforts and seek fresh collaborations. Over the past few years projects supported by AURIN have directly addressed issues such as air pollution, heat vulnerability, housing affordability, renewable energy needs of varied populations, conservation and biodiversity, and more.
In the immediate future we will continue to identify the information and support tools researchers and decision-makers need; facilitate and coordinate efforts to generate; and provide access to, systemic and up-to-date data and technology. We will also ensure the data and analytics we provide are modular and compatible with wider efforts to develop an Urban Digital Twin for Australia.
Across all of these efforts, we look forward to finding ways to ensure alignment with the National Science and Research Priorities – all are incredibly pertinent to the geospatial community, and if you’re a researcher and policy-maker working in this area we encourage you to get in touch if AURIN may be able to support your work.