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Monash takes a world view with e-Research

3 August 2005

Monash University is embarking on a major shift in research with the establishment of a $3 million centre devoted to nurturing the use of e-research.

E-research uses high-performance computers (or clusters of these computers), huge databases and massive or multiple scientific instruments, to link research teams internationally and solve previously intractable problems in areas as diverse as aeroplane engine design, climate modelling and drug design.

Professor David Abramson from the Clayton School of Information Technology is leading the development of the technology that will underpin the research. Other Monash researchers, including Federation Fellow Professor Amanda Lynch from the School of Geography and Environmental Science and Dr James Whisstock from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, are already applying e-research in environmental research and structural biology.

Deputy vice-chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said the e-research centre would enable the university to capitalise on its strengths in structural biology, grid computing (where resources from many computers in a network are applied to a single problem), climate modelling and earth systems, computational engineering and multimedia, as well as develop areas in faculties such as Arts.

The centre's staff would maximise funding opportunities for Monash, promote and support new e-research projects and encourage the formation of collaborative and multidisciplinary research groups both at Monash and across the world, Professor Cornish said.

"The centre will position Monash to take a lead role in national and international e-research initiatives and participate in global e-research," she said.

The Australian government has recognised the potential of e-Research for Australia's research community. In October 2004 it set up an e-Research Coordinating Committee, of which Professor Cornish and Monash University librarian Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree are members, to provide expert advice on developing Australia's e-research capacity and involvement.

"The virtual research environments emerging from the increasing use of high-performance computing, grid networks and communications technologies enable researchers to perform their research independent of local time and geographical locations and limitations," Professor Cornish said. "They can interact with colleagues, access remote instrumentation, share research data and computational resources and access information in digital libraries in ways never before possible. E-research is the way forward."