Mosbergen R1
1Wehi, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Rowland is a strategic leader in digital research infrastructure with 25+ years’ experience translating HPC, AI, data and cloud technologies into scalable research and industry services used by global communities. Known for building partnerships across researchers, national infrastructure providers and technology teams to deliver high-impact digital capability, Rowland provides strategic direction, inclusive leadership and scalable programs that accelerate research adoption and demonstrate measurable impact.
Rowland co-founded RSAA, RSAfrica, and RS Latin America, and established Equersa, the umbrella organisation supporting all three regional conferences. He also serves on the steering committee of the RSE Australia New Zealand Association.
Abstract:
The RCP Discovery Internship Program at WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) presents a unique model for advancing research software through a globally distributed, fully online internship framework. Since its launch in July 2021, the program has engaged over 300 interns from six continents across 14 intakes, while proving that research software complexity can be addressed efficiently with minimal resources while reducing risk and maximising efficiency and effectiveness.
This presentation describes how the program functions as an innovation lab for interns: recruiting intentionally multi-disciplinary teams, embedding DEI principles, and deploying a "best effort" mentorship philosophy that prioritises critical thinking, adaptability, and tolerance for ambiguity over rigid deliverables.
We outline the operational strategies that enable a single supervisor to manage cohorts of up to 40 interns simultaneously, including structured documentation practices, Individual Learning Plans, Technical Diaries, asynchronous feedback mechanisms, with a focus on guided autonomy.
We also showcase how this program has innovated for researchers, highlighting three key outcomes: Bioconductor package compliance, streamlined flow cytometry workflows via automated file merging, and the REDMANE research data ecosystem that is now available as a demo.
We also highlight how this program has created a new effective methodology for tackling complex software projects that moves from proof-of-concept through to handover, deliberately surfacing complexity early rather than deferring it.
