Talk: NeSI's Experience as National Research Infrastructure

NeSI is speaking at eResearch Australasia 2013 in Brisbane, Australia on its experience building national research infrastructure for New Zealanders.

Abstract

The New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI) provides eScience services including High Performance Computing (HPC) to New Zealand researchers and research institutions. In the course of its first eighteen months, it has learned a great deal, and wishes to share some of its experiences and related insights. This presentation will provide an overview of e-infrastructure supporting the research system in New Zealand, NeSI’s role within that system, and touch upon how that e-infrastructure system sits within New Zealand’s growing science and innovation system as a whole.
 

NeSI is a national New Zealand research infrastructure delivering underpinning eScience infrastructures and capabilities, a platform for innovation within the sector. NeSI’s customer base extends beyond the walls of its constituting institutions potentially to all New Zealand researchers nationally, including those in industry.
 

National Science Challenges and the subsequent Statement of Science Investment form the first comprehensive national science prioritisation across discovery-led, mission-led, business, science skills leadership and infrastructure. Cooperation across infrastructure investments is an explicitly stated expectation of the Crown, highlighting the intention to achieve a highly integrated and coordinated infrastructure system, ensuring streamlined and efficient delivery of services. Delivering on aims to boost science requires NeSI to build an infrastructure that focuses on broad needs while also delivering on highly specialised requirements.
 

NeSI has many complexities to address: the stakeholder environment is inclusive of all research institutions; New Zealand-based people with significant experience and capability in eScience are scarce; diverse and in some cases fragmented research communities. The complex nature of this marketplace makes a comprehensive response challenging; commentary will explore challenges faced along with approaches taken to their resolution.
 

As this system strengthens, new challenges will emerge – some of these are already becoming apparent and will be discussed. We look forward to sharing our journey with you.