Building EcoCommons Australia – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Elisa Bayraktarov1 1EcoCommons Australia, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
Abstract
EcoCommons Australia, a partnership of nine organisations (including ARDC, QCIF and Griffith University), aims to provide ecological and environmental researchers and policymakers with access to trusted, world-leading modelling tools, environmental data and a flexible national digital research infrastructure. With a total investment of approximately $8.45M since 2013, EcoCommons has evolved from its predecessors (Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory, ecocloud and the Collaborative Species Distribution Modelling Portal) to become the platform of choice for ecological and environment modelling.
Launched in November 2022, EcoCommons has now attracted over 600 registered users from universities, government agencies, and environmental NGOs, gaining recognition through multiple prestigious awards. However, behind the success lies a story of challenges and lessons learned in building a platform of this magnitude in a post-COVID world.
In this presentation, I will explore the “Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” aspects of EcoCommons, sharing experiences and insights gained throughout its development. Key challenges encompassed staff availability, skills, and training, while ensuring staff wellbeing and work/life balance. Managing multiple collaborations and handling Technical Debt accumulation posed additional hurdles. Moreover, staying abreast of ever-evolving science and technology and ensuring sustainability proved to be continuous struggles.
This talk aims to summarise the valuable lessons learned from developing a complex digital innovation platform. By sharing our experiences, I hope to provide valuable advice to those involved in building National Research Infrastructure.
Biography
I am a rising Technologist and Program Manager leading a team of 10 IT professionals and scientists at EcoCommons since 2020. Our mission is to develop the platform of choice for environmental problem-solving. EcoCommons Australia is a $5 million, 3-year digital innovation platform backed by ARDC and 8 partner organisations including QCIF and Griffith University. We aim to empower researchers and policy makers in protecting and restoring the planet by providing access to ecological data, robust scientific workflows, and a flexible digital research infrastructure. I hold a PhD in Environmental Monitoring and 10 years of experience working in Conservation Science.