Dr Kyle Hemming1, Dr Angus Fisk2, Mr Shaun Grady3, Dr Danny Meloncelli4, Dr Anastasios Papaioannou5, Mr Aidan Wilson6
1University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa / New Zealand, 2University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 3Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Castle, Australia, 4Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, Brisbane, Australia, 5University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 6Intersect Australia, Sydney, Country
Biography:
Kyle Hemming supports researchers in data science, data management, and responsible AI adoption. With a decade of quantitative research experience and eight years supporting researchers, he is passionate about improving research outcomes. His interests also include reproducible research, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.
Angus Fisk has a DPhil in Neuroscience, where he specialised in analysing sleep and circadian rhythms using EEG and behavioural data. His research involved building sensors, developing reproducible pipelines, and modelling complex daily rhythms. He now works as a data science trainer at the Sydney Informatics Hub, helping researchers build skills to be effective with modern tools including AI. He enjoys making complicated tools accessible and understandable, bringing data analysis pipelines into the future.
Shaun Grady is a Senior Health Informatician within the Data Sciences platform at Hunter Medical Research Institute and manages the Data Sciences Research Training Program. Shaun has been developing and delivering research training across Australia since 2019, and is now focusing these efforts on providing training opportunities for researchers in the Hunter New England area and regional NSW. Shaun is originally a Radiation Therapist by training with specific research interests in role development, clinical process improvement and utilisation of health data.
Danny leads QCIF’s digital research training program, overseeing the development and delivery of high-impact courses that equip researchers with critical skills in coding, statistics, data management and bioinformatics. Danny has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry and a Master of Data Science. Prior to joining QCIF at the start of this year, Danny was a STEM Learning Adviser at UniSC for over a decade. Danny has a passion for simplifying complexity, up-skilling others, fostering a growth mindset, and harnessing the power of education to create lasting impact.
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.
Aidan Wilson is Intersect Australia’s Digital Research Services Manager, where he supervises a team of Digital Research Analysts, and manages Intersect’s researcher training program. Aidan has been heavily involved in training delivery and systems since he joined Intersect in 2015. 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.
Abstract:
Situation
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now widely available, and researchers are increasingly embedding them into research activities, from literature discovery to predictive modelling and interpreting findings. Researchers augmenting their practices with AI can realise benefits in speed, scope, and impact.
Task
However, significant challenges remain for the responsible uptake of AI. Key issues persist for researchers in understanding how AI systems work and their responsible use. For digital skills trainers, as AI tools evolve, researchers’ needs change, requiring training to adapt in content and delivery. For instance, if AI can generate code, what purpose does training ‘fundamental’ coding skills serve, and how should training practitioners respond? Should training be modified to accommodate AI-augmented practices or shift focus entirely to AI tools?
Action
This Birds of a Feather (BOF) seeks to understand and address these concerns by asking the eResearch training community three questions: (1) what challenges does AI pose to current digital skills training? (2) what changes need to be made to current training? And (3) how should new training be delivered to meet evolving researcher needs?
Result
By posing these questions, we hope to better prepare researcher organisations for an AI-augmented future. These insights will help guide the redevelopment and delivery style of the next generation of digital skills training across Australasia.