In this issue:
- eResearch Australasia 2009: No boundaries;
- Underworld Grid Workshop, Wednesday 10 June 2009;
- A showcase of iVEC eResearch;
- Intersect helps schizophrenia researchers;
- iVEC Interns impress again;
- Intersect is recruiting eResearch Analysts;
- About the newsletter.
eResearch Australasia 2009: No boundaries
The Call for Participation is now open for eResearch Australasia 2009, to be held 9-13 November at the Novotel Manly Pacific, Sydney. Submissions are due 29 June. Please see http://www.eresearch.edu.au/participation for further details.
Patricia McMillan
eResearch Australasia Conference
Underworld Grid Workshop, Wednesday 10 June 2009
Potential, new and current users of Underworld (http://www.underworldproject.org/) are invited to attend a half-day Underworld Grid Workshop, to be held on Wednesday 10 June 2009 at Monash University Caulfield Campus. Registration is free, and includes morning tea and lunch. Places are limited, and registrations close Wednesday 3 June 2009. See http://www.geodynamics.monash.edu.au/underworldgridworkshop/ for more details and to register.
Underworld is a 3D-parallel geodynamic modelling framework capable of deriving viscous / viscoplastic thermal, chemical and thermochemical models consistent with tectonic processes, such as mantle convection and lithospheric deformation over long time scales. Underworld is under collaborative development by Monash University (http://www.monash.edu.au/) and the VPAC (http://www.vpac.org/), as part of the NCRIS AuScope capabilty in the Simulation and Modelling Victoria (http://www.auscope.monash.edu.au/) program.
The workshop will introduce participants to submitting Underworld models to computer clusters across the ARCS (http://www.arcs.org.au/) Grid, using the Grid submission client Grisu graphical user interface. Participants will learn how to submit existing Underworld model files to a computer cluster, using a select range of Underworld’s modelling capabilities, and view and retrieve their results.
Wendy Mason
AuScope Research Assistant (Underworld e-Research Officer)
A showcase of iVEC eResearch
The 2009 iVEC eResearch Forum showcased 17 projects supported by iVEC in Western Australia. The Chief Scientist of WA, Professor Lyn Beazley, opened the Forum with great enthusiasm and highlighted some of the research carried out through iVEC. This event brings researchers, developers, government and industry together and makes clear the significant impact the three iVEC Facilities are having on the local research community.
Young Scientist of the Year, Dr Ben Corry, gave an insight into the molecular machinery of the cell with a computational microscope. At a very different scale, Professor Mervyn Lynch spoke on the challenges and opportunities stemming from the WASTAC Consortium making 29 years of satellite data available to researchers. Our view then moved to look out from Earth with Professor Steve Tingay, from ICRAR, who presented on current work demonstrating Square Kilometer Array (SKA) readiness in Western Australia.
With plenty of presentations, networking opportunities and a closing poster session, eResearch Forum was a resounding success. To see the full program, please visit: http://www.ivec.org/forum09.
Valerie Maxville
Educaion Program Leader, iVEC
Intersect helps schizophrenia researchers
Soon to be formally announced, The Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank (ASRB) Interface and Tools project kicked off in April. The project is the first of Intersect's Innovation projects and was selected from a strong field of candidate projects put forward by Intersect’s members. Intersect's Innovation Committee, headed by NSW Chief Scientist, Prof Mary O'Kane, identified the project as having high community value, serving a significant national initiative with research centred in NSW.
Intersect will build a web interface and tools to enable authorised researchers to search, filter and browse the ASRB database; link metadata from the MRI images; and download MRI, genetic, and clinical information, as well as enabling remote collaborators to upload information into the ASRB.
The ASRB is administered by the Schizophrenia Research Institute, overseen by Professor Vaughan Carr. Others involved include the Universities of Newcastle, NSW, Sydney and Macquarie, and NSW Health.
Leonie Hellmers
Communications, Intersect
iVEC interns impress again
Nine exceptional students from Western Australian universities have made their final presentations at the iVEC eResearch Forum. Selected through a competitive process, the interns have spent ten weeks over the summer break undertaking research projects with support from their supervisors and iVEC staff. Projects ranged from geoscience visualisation and haptics to molecular dynamics, with astronomy, GPU computing, quantum dots and sustainable energy modelling.
The students began their internship with a full week induction in eResearch and advanced computing. The program was coordinated via Sakai, a learning management system provided by Australian Research Collaboration Services (ARCS) and regular progress meetings. Many of the students have since taken on candidacy in Doctoral programs, while others have modified their career and study plans to include the research area covered in their internship.
For more information about the iVEC Internship Program, see our website: http://ivec.org/interns.
Valerie Maxville
Educaion Program Leader, iVEC
Intersect is recruiting eResearch Analysts
The eResearch Analyst is the primary interface between Intersect and each one of Intersect’s member organisations. eResearch Analysts will be based on each university member campus and will work in conjunction with the university’s support staff as a contact for research staff.
These positions will be responsible for providing advice to researchers on the best eResearch solution for their circumstances; and will work closely with university divisions such as ITS, Library, and the Research Office to ensure delivery of service.
Their roles include the following: carrying out business requirements analysis and architecting information systems solutions for members research groups; participating in the deployment of information systems solutions; acting as project manager as necessary; and assisting member’s research staff to effectively utilise Intersect’s services and resources. For details see http://www.intersect.org.au/#Employment.
Leonie Hellmers
Communicatons, Intersect
About the newsletter
The eResearch newsletter is published the first business day of each month, and submissions are due two business days prior to that. Please send items to newsletter@eresearch.edu.au. Each item should be no more than 150 words plain text, plus a link to further information.
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Patricia McMillan
eresearch-announce List Moderator