Prof. Amanda Barnard1
1Australian National University, Acton, Australia
Biography:
Professor Amanda Barnard is one of Australia’s most highly awarded computational scientists, and Associate Director Strategic Initiates in the School of Computing at the Australian National University (ANU). She currently leads research at the interface of computational modelling, applied machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). She was awarded her BSc (Hons) in applied physics in 2000, her PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics in 2003, and DSc in 2020 from RMIT University. After graduating she accepted a Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory (USA, 2003-2005), and the prestigious Violette & Samuel Glasstone Fellow at the University of Oxford (UK) with an Extraordinary Research Fellowship at The Queen’s College (2005-2008). Prior to joining ANU she was an ARC QEII Fellow, Office of the Chief Executive (OCE) Science Leader, and then Chief Research Scientist in Data61 at CSIRO (2009-2020). With more than 20 years experience in high performance computing Prof Barnard is heavily engaged in international science diplomacy and research governance. A previous Chair of the National Computational Merit Allocation Science (NCMAS) and the Australasian Leadership Computing Grants (ALCG) scheme, she is a member of boards and panels for various institutions including the Pawsey Supercomputing research Centre, New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI), the Research Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ), and the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) in Singapore. She has been recognized for leadership, and has been awarded in five scientific disciplines, and in 2022 was appointed a Member the Order of Australia (AM).
Abstract:
Australian research is undergoing a profound transformation. No longer confined to equations and experiments alone, research today involves simulation, data, and intelligent algorithms, at unprecedented speed and scale. In an era defined by complexity, urgency, and unprecedented scientific opportunity, supercomputing stands as Australia’s most powerful and versatile scientific instrument, supporting a triad of capability: supercomputing, high-performance data infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. Together, they form the modern engine of scientific advancement across disciplines, from quantum chemistry to climate science, genomics to astrophysics, social modelling to materials design. Supercomputers enable researchers not only to simulate the unmeasurable and visualise the unseeable, but to ask bigger, bolder questions that were once beyond reach. This presentation makes the case that supercomputing is not merely an enabler of research but a driver of research excellence, economic competitiveness, and sovereign capability. These capabilities are not optional, but essential to Australia’s leadership in research, innovation, and national resilience. Drawing on impactful Australian case studies we will explore how supercomputing uniquely transforms science when no other tool can. It will argue that, just as the microscope and telescope once revolutionized their eras, supercomputing is reshaping ours. In making this case, we affirm a simple truth: without supercomputing, Australia risks not only falling behind but failing to lead in the areas where it matters most. This is not just about computing faster. It is about discovering sooner, adapting smarter, and building a research future that’s as agile and intelligent as the challenges we face.