Annual Report 2015–2016

GOAL 7: PROMOTE ACCESS TO AND USE OF ‘BIG DATA’ TO IMPROVE HEALTH
Promote access to and use of ‘big data’ to improve health.
Activity 1.7 NHMRC
Corporate Plan
Target 1: Collaborate with relevant Australian and international groups regarding
the use of ‘big data’
Corporate Plan
Continue to contribute to the discussion regarding the use of ‘big data’
by engaging in collaborative meetings/workshops with relevant Australian
and international groups (e.g. the Global Alliance for Genomics and
Health).
NHMRC is committed to maximising the benefits from NHMRC-funded research, including by ensuring
greater access to research data. In 2015–16, NHMRC signed a memorandum of understanding with the
Australian National Data Service to work in collaboration to encourage re-use of data through consistent
metadata standards to promote sharing of data generated through NHMRC-funded research.
Work
ongoing
Discipline-specific national and international standards are in place, or under development, to ensure that
shared data is of high quality. NHMRC has contributed to developing and implementing the following
frameworks and standards:
PART 2 Performance Report
• Global Alliance for Genomics and Health – Framework for Responsible Sharing of Genomic and
Health-Related Data
• International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) – Global sharing of ICGC data
• Wellcome Trust – Sharing research data to improve public health: full joint statement by funders of
health research.
NHMRC is also working with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Diseases Preparedness, led by
Wellcome Trust, to develop a data sharing plan for public health emergencies.
Target 2: Continue to encourage data-sharing practices to maximise the benefits
derived from NHMRC-funded research
Corporate Plan
Continue to encourage data sharing practices to maximise the benefits
derived from NHMRC-funded research.
Work
ongoing
NHMRC has an important responsibility to ensure researchers and members of the community can access
the outputs of research. This means making data publicly accessible. NHMRC encourages researchers to
disseminate and share their research data through publicly accessible databases or repositories.
NHMRC has developed its Data Sharing Statement to encourage data sharing and providing access to
data and other research outputs arising from NHMRC-supported research. The statement is promoted to
researchers through meetings, conferences and NHMRC’s website.
All researchers applying for funding are encouraged by NHMRC to have an ORCID (open research and
contributor ID) identifier, which is a unique ID to identify researchers, link, integrate and access data.
In February 2016, NHMRC became a member of the new Australian ORCID Consortium, which will support
maximising the benefits of ORCID within Australia.
Annual Report of the National Health and Medical Research Council 2015–2016
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