Dr Edoardo Tescari1, Mr Shaun Grady2, Dr Julie Iskander3, Dr Jacky Kwun Lun Cho4, Dr Anastasios Papaioannou5
1The University of Melbourne, Australia, 2Hunter Medical Research Institute, Australia, 3Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia, 4University of New South Wales, Australia, 5University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Edoardo Tescari is a Senior Research Data Specialist in the Melbourne Data Analytics Platform (MDAP) team at The University of Melbourne. Edoardo has extensive experience in the use of multi-core computer clusters, parallel computational techniques and management of large data sets. In his current role within MDAP, Edoardo has been collaborating with academics from different disciplines, and contributed to research on climate, biosecurity and dietary modelling, as well as bioinformatics and genomics. Edoardo has been advocating for the recognition and development of a digitally skilled eResearch workforce within and outside The University of Melbourne.
Shaun Grady is a Senior Health Informatician within the Data Management & Health Informatics (DMHI) stream at Hunter Medical Research Institute and manages the Data Sciences Research Training Program. While the DMHI team specialises in REDCap, data collection and data linkage, support provided by the broader Research Translation and Healthcare Improvement Platform includes biostatistics, health economics, clinical trials coordination and research impact evaluation. Shaun is originally a Radiation Therapist by training with specific research interests in digital health delivery, clinical process improvement and utilisation of health data.
Julie Iskander leads the Research Computing Platform at WEHI, where she brings her background in software engineering, computational biology, and biomedical research to drive infrastructure development and support scalable, data-driven science. Her team helps researchers bridge the gap between scientific questions and computational solutions, with growing emphasis on making AI tools and cloud platforms accessible across disciplines.
Jacky Cho is a program manager with Research Technology Services at UNSW, focusing on infrastructure and governance for research data storage and management. He is also a lead for the ResTech community program, which upskill and engages research communities to make the best use of research infrastructure both at UNSW and nationally. Prior to this, he was a researcher specialising in the physical chemistry of surface coatings and used research data and research computing infrastructure in synchrotrons and universities in Australia and Europe.
Anastasios Papaioannou is a Senior Manager leading the eResearch Platforms and Services at UTS, where he oversees cloud and high-performance computing (HPC), research data storage, training, and the integration of AI in research. He actively works on the adoption of AI by collaborating with UTS colleagues to develop a comprehensive suite of AI guidelines, tools, and training programs for researchers. With a strong background in research, data science, and computational physics, he works closely with academics and HDR students to help them leverage large-scale infrastructure and digital technologies to accelerate their research.
Abstract:
The delivery of eResearch support varies across institutions, ranging from centralised service teams to embedded roles within research units, and from professional staff to academic and technical specialists. While the sector shares many common challenges, solutions are often developed in isolation, limiting opportunities for shared learning and collaboration.
This BoF session aims to explore how eResearch support units are evolving in response to shifting demands, with a focus on three key areas: operations and team structure, cost recovery and funding models, and strategies for demonstrating value. Our BoF aims to better understand how different institutions are navigating these areas and to identify opportunities for alignment and collaboration.
We will begin with a guided discussion around three core questions:
– Who is on your team—and why? How are we structuring our teams to meet growing and changing needs? What skills are we prioritising, and how do we balance technical, academic, and support roles?
– Where does the money come from—and how do we keep the lights on? What funding models are sustainable?
– How do you prove your value? How do we communicate our impact to leadership? What metrics matter?
Attendees will be encouraged to share their own experiences, challenges, and strategies, sparking a lively exchange of ideas. The session will conclude by exploring ways to keep the momentum going beyond the conference and continue the conversation by promoting ongoing knowledge sharing and cross-institutional collaboration.