Grady S1, Wilson A2, Shortt N3
1Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia, 2Intersect Australia, Sydney, Australia, 3Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
Biography:
Shaun Grady – https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7808-8983
Senior Health Informatician
Hunter Medical Research Institute
Shaun Grady is a Senior Health Informatician at Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), where he leads the delivery of research informatics services and manages the Data Sciences Research Training Program. His work spans research data management, digital research platforms, research software solutions, training, and the implementation of technology-enabled research workflows across a diverse range of disciplines.
Originally trained as a Radiation Therapist, Shaun has worked across healthcare, clinical research, health informatics, and research technology. His interests include digital health, research infrastructure, data-driven service design, and the evolving role of technology in supporting the research lifecycle. He is passionate about building sustainable, researcher-focused services that improve access to data, technology, and digital capability within the research sector.
Aidan Wilson – https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9858-5470
Digital Research Services Manager
Intersect Australia
Aidan Wilson is Intersect Australia’s Digital Research Services Manager and REDCap Lead. He supervises a team of Digital Research Analysts, provides advice and support for REDCap sites, and manages Intersect’s researcher training program. Aidan was named the REDCap Consortium Most Valuable Player in 2022.
Prior to joining Intersect, Aidan was a linguistic researcher working in the field of Australia’s Indigenous Languages, focusing in particular on the verb morphology of Traditional Tiwi, and other languages from the top-end, one of the most linguistically diverse regions on Earth.
Nick Shortt
Senior Informatics Manager
Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, NZ
Nick Shortt has a decade of experience in the clinical research space, including protocol development, clinical trial operations, and the database development space. Nick’s primary role at the MRINZ is lead administrator and database developer using the REDCap platform.
Nick is currently completing his PhD at Victoria University of Wellington, focused on development of a clinical trial management system designed to support clinical research undertaken through community pharmacies.
Abstract:
As the Australasian eResearch community celebrates two decades of innovation, REDCap provides a compelling lens through which to examine how research technologies evolve in response to changing researcher needs. Originally developed in 2004 as a secure electronic data capture solution for clinical and translational research, REDCap has grown into one of the world's most widely adopted research platforms, supporting thousands of institutions and millions of projects across diverse disciplines.
This presentation reflects on REDCap's transformation from a specialised medical research tool into a versatile component of modern research infrastructure. While data collection remains its foundation, contemporary implementations increasingly support participant registries, longitudinal cohort studies, research governance processes, quality improvement programs, workflow automation, participant engagement, and cross-institutional collaboration. More recently, organisations have begun leveraging REDCap as a platform for digital intervention delivery, integrating surveys, communications, scheduling, and automated decision logic into cohesive research experiences.
Drawing on examples from Australasian research organisations, we explore how REDCap's accessibility, flexibility, and strong community-driven development model have enabled it to extend well beyond its original purpose. In doing so, the platform mirrors broader trends within eResearch: the convergence of data collection, service delivery, automation, and digital research infrastructure.
Looking ahead, emerging capabilities in interoperability, low-code application development, artificial intelligence, and connected research ecosystems present new opportunities for REDCap to further support the research lifecycle. By examining its past and present, we consider what REDCap's evolution can teach us about building sustainable, adaptable research infrastructure for the next generation of eResearch.
