What we do
NCI offers expert high performance data, storage and computing services, and data collections, across a range of research domains within science, government and industry.
NCI’s Repository, including the data collections, data services and publishing platforms can be leveraged to help store, manage, analyse, share, publish and cite research data. NCI’s data repository aligns to key data management principles such as FAIR, CARE and TRUST. These principles are part of our ongoing data management practice, and are part of our regular reviews and improvements within our data governance framework, together with data providers.
FAIR Principles
The FAIR Data Principles ensure that data is shared and reused to its fullest potential. NCI platforms and services have been designed to enable FAIR data access and reuse. NCI is particularly driven by the machine actionable and programmable methods for its data, and particularly with its co-located HPC and data science platforms.
Findable
✓ Data is discoverable through the NCI Data Catalogue
✓ Persistent identifiers for data (e.g., DOIs)
✓ Detailed descriptive metadata
Accessible
✓ Direct access for computational and data science software on NCI systems
✓ Integration with the range of NCI Data Services
✓ Flexible access controls for sensitive or restricted data
✓ Standardised communications protocols
Interoperable
✓ Leverage international data standards, where available
✓ Standards-based metadata management
✓ Expert data curation workflows and support
Reusable
✓ Flexible licensing options
✓ Provenance metadata support
✓ Machine-readable metadata
TRUST Principles
The TRUST Data Principles provide best-practice guidance for digital repositories and responsible data stewardship.
Transparency
The NCI website includes a range of information about NCI’s organisation, data services and digital stewardship. The NCI Annual Report provides key updates about the organisation, infrastructure and services. Details about NCI’s collections can be found via the NCI Data Catalogue, MyNCI Portal and directly via NCI Data Services. NCI has standard procedures in place for undertaking new data releases as well as managing erratas and decommissioning projects. Metadata from the NCI Data Catalogue is publicly accessible via human and machine-readable interfaces. Established procedures and contracting processes are implemented. NCI users can access information about compute and storage allocations via the MyNCI Portal. Comprehensive public documentation to support NCI users is accessible via the NCI OPUS site.
Responsibility
NCI is governed by The Australian National University on the advice of the NCI Advisory Board. The Board appointments include an independent Chair as well as representation from each of NCI’s major collaborators.
NCI assists data providers as required regarding the implementation of standard file formats, schemas and vocabularies, developing documentation and undertaking quality control.
Data providers can elect to share data publicly via NCI’s Data Services or to restrict access within groups of trusted collaborators. There are established workflows and procedures for setting up and managing provision of access to data collections as well as compute services.
User focus
NCI’s powerful computing infrastructure and range of data services support the leading work of individual research groups and projects. NCI staff are committed to a user-centric focus, in both designing and delivering data platforms and services. NCI has dedicated experts working on data curation workflows and specialised environments in different disciplinary areas, particularly data-intensive domains such as earth sciences, astronomy, AI/Machine Learning and data visualisation.
NCI Helpdesk metrics are routinely monitored; the NCI User Services team also administers regular user surveys as part of a process of continuous improvement. There is a focus on building and enhancing service provision, with new features regularly added to services such as the Australian Research Environment (ARE), a simple web-based, graphical interface to perform computational research. NCI also offers training resources and services on topics such as High-Performance Computing (HPC), python, machine learning and data visualisation.
Sustainability
NCI is a prominent data and computing organisation, governed under the auspices of The Australian National University (ANU). It was originally established over four decades ago with the creation of the ANU Supercomputing Facility (ANUSF). NCI is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education, the National Research Infrastructure for Australia (NCRIS) and five major collaborators (The Australian National University, CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia and UNSW Sydney).
NCI offers established data platforms and services supported by an expert team of data professionals. Staff undertake regular system maintenance of the Gadi supercomputer as well as associated data services and collections. Data management and curation support enables data providers to leverage international standards.
Technology
As Australia’s premier national research supercomputing facility, NCI offers support for computationally intensive Australian research at the highest possible level. Closely integrated with some of the country’s fastest filesystems, highest performance research cloud, and virtual research platforms, NCI’s Gadi supercomputer enables groundbreaking, high-impact research and innovation.
NCI’s established suite of data services and capabilities are continuously monitored to ensure a high level of service provision. NCI collaborators, data providers and users have access to live status updates and are notified of regular scheduled system maintenance. NCI has access to disciplinary experts in data intensive domains and leverages international standards regarding metadata and data management to ensure quality research outcomes. Data infrastructure is designed to support secure, persistent, and reliable services. For example, datasets published via the NCI Data Catalogue can be assigned DataCite DOIs as globally unique persistent identifiers.
CARE Principles
The CARE Principles provide critical guidance on Indigenous Data Governance and ensuring data is used ethically. The CARE principles relate to:
- Collective benefits
- Authority to control
- Responsibility
- Ethics
At NCI, we support data contributors with flexible curation and publication workflows so that data can be managed appropriately and in accordance with the CARE principles. NCI’s permissions management and access controls enable data to be shared publicly or limited to groups of trusted collaborators. Data publication platforms include a range of mechanisms to record data provenance, attribution and specify any limitations or obligations regarding secondary data usage.
Five SAFES Framework
The Five SAFES Framework is one tool used to assess and manage risks associated with the publishing, sharing and use of sensitive data.
The Fives Safes includes the following dimensions:
- Safe People
- Safe Projects
- Safe Data
- Safe Settings
- Safe Outputs
These dimensions are a useful framework for reviewing privacy and confidentiality risks associated with data sharing decision making processes. Different questions may be relevant depending on the context. For example, under ‘safe settings’ different technical protections such as secure access protocols ensure that only authorised personnel have access to sensitive data.
Sensitive data is subject to relevant legal and ethical restrictions that govern how the data can be managed, accessed, and used.