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Abstract

The Middleware Action Plan and Strategy Project (MAPS) is funded by DEST under the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative.  The project is tasked with developing a strategic roadmap for middleware, which will support the effective targeting of resources towards a coherent, sustainable middleware infrastructure for research and education within Australia.  This presentation will describe the contents of the roadmap produced by the project and feedback on the roadmap received from the community.  The roadmap outlines recommendations and associated action plans regarding the following main themes:

• Middleware for access management: to ensure the widest and smoothest uptake of the Australian Access Federation and to ensure interoperability with the AAF and with other access federations.
  
  
• Middleware to support global engagement: to provide middleware support and deployment services researchers require when participating in collaborative projects.
  
  
• Innovation in middleware and eResearch infrastructures: whether and how Australian middleware and eResearch infrastructure developments should be funded, promoted, and productized.

About the speaker

Patty McMillan works for the University of Queensland as Project Manager for the Middleware Action Plan and Strategy (MAPS) project.  She also chairs the AUeduPerson Working Group for the Australian Access Federation (AAF) and is an Australian liaison to the European Committee on Academic Middleware (ECAM).  Patty holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Management, a Master of Science in Library Science, and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics.  Patty has worked for Carnegie Mellon University and the Software Engineering Institute in Pittsburgh (USA), as well as Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and the University of Queensland.  Her roles have included librarian, computer science research associate, web developer, web services manager, business analyst, and business integration manager.  Her most recent role prior to the MAPS project was as ICT Relationship Manager at the University of Sydney, liaising between the university's central ICT area and its academic and research areas.