Greenhill K1, Gouda-Vossos A1
1Australian Research Data Commons, Adelaide, Australia
Biography:
Kit helps researchers build better skills to create, analyse and retain HASS and Indigenous data. She applies expertise developed as a university lecturer and a professional librarian to support HASS and Indigenous researchers and data custodians to build communities identifying and addressing skills gaps.
At the ARDC Amany works to build digital capability and strengthen the health and medical workforce. With expertise in molecular sciences, and science education, Amany employs an evidence-based approach to build the capabilities of project partners. Her passion for fostering a strong learning culture has been shaped by 15 years’ experience across university, and corporate environments.
Abstract:
The rapid evolution of eResearch from isolated projects into large, integrated ecosystems highlights a critical challenge: the need for a skilled workforce capable of navigating complex digital research infrastructure. While accelerating research requires advanced digital skills, eResearch professionals and institutions often struggle to identify skill gaps, map competencies, and design effective training pathways. Without a structured approach, skills development becomes ad-hoc and misaligned with actual capability needs.
To address this, the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) developed the Digital Research Skills Strategy Tool. This free, customisable resource enables infrastructure providers to systematically map out and scale a digital skills strategy. Built with flexibility in mind, the tool is modular. Users can integrate alternative frameworks or deploy standalone components. For example, one practitioner might use a single module to create targeted learner personas, while another uses the full ARDC Skills Framework to audit institutional workforce capabilities.
The tool helps users determine who needs training, what skills they require, what proficiency level they must reach, and how training should be delivered. By following the complete process, users can define learner personas, map competencies to ARDC or external frameworks, set competency levels for personas, and design a targeted training approach for each skill.
This presentation demonstrates how to download, adapt, and apply the tool. Using real-world examples from national initiatives across health, medicine, and HASS, this session will show how the tool allows providers to move away from generic training and instead build targeted support materials and development programs that directly address documented capability gaps.
