CeRDI Newsletter Summer 2023

In this issue:

Message from the Director
National soil judging competition
CeRDI staff attend GRDC grains research update
Managing and enabling soil data project
The CeRDI server migration project
Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub - Podcast Series
Report: Russian aggression impacts biodiversity conservation beyond Ukraine
Australian Research Data Commons Initiative and Co-investment
Staff profile: Peggy Hsu
News snippets
Higher Degrees by Research news
About CeRDI
Contact CeRDI

Message from the Director


Associate Professor Helen Thompson

This is the first CeRDI newsletter for 2023 and it’s a bumper issue containing stories about the many successful projects and activities that CeRDI staff have been leading and contributing to over recent months.

We recently held a CeRDI-wide workshop with all staff members to explore our current and future directions. It was a valuable forum for generating discussion about the Centre’s research goals and strategic considerations in technology, research partnerships and data discoveries. There will be further opportunities to formalise our strategic approach in coming months to consolidate our longer-term research vision and future success.

This year is our 25th anniversary. We’ve come a long way since our beginning in 1998. We’ve grown exponentially and have become one of the most successful research Centres at Federation University. We’ll be marking the milestone in a number of ways, including a video that documents the CeRDI story. We look forward to sharing the video with you when it’s launched later this year.

One theme in the stories contained in this newsletter is sourcing and gaining new knowledge. I am closely involved with the Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and am delighted to share information about a new podcast series to help farmers implement change to build drought resilience. These are free and informative podcasts on topics of interest to a wide audience.

National soil judging competition

In early December, Federation University hosted the 10th National Soil Judging Competition. The event was organised by Soil Science Australia and was held in the lead up to World Soil Day on the 5th of December. CeRDI’s Dr Nathan Robinson provided significant support in organising the competition, which was held in Ballarat.

The event provides tertiary students and early career professionals with practical experience in identifying and describing soils. The opportunities to learn in the field, from experts, provides the next generation of soil scientists with a unique experience to perfect their soils knowledge and skills.

Fourteen teams from across Australia competed in the event which included two days of training and one day of competition at three soil judging locations, including a site at Federation University. Competition winners were announced at the awards dinner which was held at Sovereign Hill. Prizes were awarded for teams and individual performances. In the overall competition, the University of Sydney team claimed first prize. The list of winners is available on the Soil Science Australia website .

CeRDI staff attend GRDC grains research update


CeRDI’s Dr Aakansha Chadha at Adelaide GRDC Update

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) conducted a GRDC Update symposium in Adelaide, in February 2023, to showcase the latest work in grains research. CeRDI researchers, Dr Nathan Robinson and Dr Aakansha Chadha attended the symposium to share information about the Online Farm Trials (OFT) project.

The OFT project provides a web-based portal that enables open and free access to on-farm, or field based, cropping research trial data and information. It offers interactive maps, searching and viewing tools which enable access to relevant information on a range of cropping topics, issues and methods. Launched in 2015, OFT is a collaboration between the GRDC and CeRDI.

For the Adelaide updates, the OFT booth provided the CeRDI-OFT staff an opportunity to reconnect with industry representatives, stakeholders, users and contributors. Dr’s Nathan Robinson and Aakansha Chadha were in attendance at the information stand to talk about the portal and to share information about recent features, including Trials in Progress, with industry representatives, OFT users and data contributors. While at the event, they also attended the quarterly OFT Expert Advisory Group meeting. In late February, the team also attended GRDC Update sessions in Bendigo, and Perth.

Managing and enabling soil data project

CeRDI researcher, Dr Nathan Robinson, is leading a research project that aims to develop guidelines, processes and policies that support discovery and reuse of soil research data. Nathan, together with CeRDI Research Officer Jude Channon, are collaborating on the project with researchers at partner organisation Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, NZ. The project is funded by the Soil Cooperative Research Centres (Soil CRC).

A core activity associated with this research involves collecting data and information from soil researchers about their research management practices. Using surveys and focus groups, the project aims to further understand current soil and agricultural data management practices of key stakeholders and will assist Soil CRC participants to better manage, store and reuse or allow reuse of the data they collect.

Federation University’s data management expert Kay Steel recently joined the research team providing guidance with interpreting the research data relevant to national data management strategies. Kay is also engaging with staff across Australian universities to collate key insights about their data management practices at their institutions to gather baseline data about university data repositories.

The CeRDI server migration project

During 2021-22, the CeRDI technology team undertook a substantial internal project migrating the CeRDI server and its applications into a Federation University data centre. With an existing catalogue of over 100 CeRDI applications, the server migration project was a substantial undertaking, necessitating extensive planning and staffing to ensure its success.

There are multiple benefits of having CeRDI applications hosted by a Federation University server. CeRDI receives university-wide support and security for all its server and applications, while complying with institution wide information and technology related policies and procedures.

Systems analyst programmer at CeRDI, Richard Archer, has been integral in implementing and managing the project, with the support of the technology team, including Scott Limmer. Richard gave an informative presentation at a recent CeRDI seminar, providing an overview of the project and consolidating the key learnings.

Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub - Podcast Series

The Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub has launched a 10-part series Innovation AG Podcast, which explores the latest research and maps out a step-by-step process to help farmers implement change to build drought resilience. To date, four episodes have been released:

•   Episode1: What is innovation and what motivates people to do it?
•   Episode 2: Innovation and decision making: How do you implement change without betting the farm?
•   Episode 3: Finding funding and building networks
•   Episode 4: How to value-add to your business … and the entire agricultural industry

A bonus episode has also been published: Jason Birch: Food and culture through native grains

The series is designed as a guide for farmers when deciding to invest in new AgTech, change practice and/or in funding or future-proofing their next project to build a climate-resilient business. The free series is supported by funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund with Victorian Hub Knowledge-Broker and former ABC radio and television journalist, Kirsten Diprose, who hosts the podcasts.

Report: Russian aggression impacts biodiversity conservation beyond Ukraine

An international report by researchers, including CeRDI’s Dr Birgita Hansen, has been published about the Russian-Ukraine war and the far-reaching consequences for global nature conservation. The following overview details the Russian aggression and war in Ukraine and the potential for far-reaching consequences for nature conservation world-wide:

A complex web of intergovernmental agreements is front and centre in efforts to address the global threats to nature such as loss of habitats and species extinctions. Examples include the powerful Convention on Biological Diversity signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the predecessor to the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in Montreal in December 2022 and many others.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the international system for biodiversity conservation by isolating Russia from ongoing environmental negotiations, delaying international cooperation on environmental matters, and abruptly changing international and domestic policy priorities.

Continue reading...

Russia supports hundreds of migratory species such as fish, birds, and mammals that journey into and out of the country with the changing seasons. The Russian suspension from the SWIFT interbank system has limited international assistance for migratory species conservation projects in Russia. This suspension, along with travel restrictions, has halted ongoing on-the-ground conservation efforts for the spoon-billed sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), a globally Critically Endangered species (on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) that breeds in Russia’s Far East and migrates to Southeast and South Asia, as well as many other threatened species.

In addition, Russia’s prominent role in the international governance system for biodiversity conservation has resulted in wider halts and delays to conservation efforts around the world. Lead author Dr Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao, from the University of Washington, said that "Russia is among the countries that have signed the most international environmental agreements, which has included holding key leadership roles”. “There is evidence that some of these agreements and processes are now in danger as a result of the war” Dr Gallo added.

Russia’s isolation has also hit the World Heritage process, whereby prime sites of cultural and natural heritage are protected through international negotiation. Sites inscribed into this agreement include the Great Barrier Reef, Yellowstone National Park, and Serengeti National Park. With Russia as the Chair of the World Heritage Committee at the time of the invasion, the designation of new sites has been halted and delayed due to boycott by other parties to this agreement. “This is the case for important coastal wetlands for migratory shorebird conservation in east China, for which there is already a nomination waiting to be considered by the World Heritage Committee. The consideration of the Great Barrier Reef for an In Danger listing due to climate change and other local stressors has also been waylaid as a consequence of the invasion” added co-author Professor Tiffany Morrison from James Cook University.

Professor Duan Biggs from Northern Arizona University, who also co-authored the paper, stated that “As the war unfolds, international and domestic attention focuses on the security agenda as well as on other top policy agendas, such as food and energy security, leaving the biodiversity conservation agenda sidelined”.

An example of how the security and food security agendas have taken centerstage is the decision made by the European Union to relax biodiversity conservation policies allowing for agricultural intensification to address food shortages due to warfare and sanctions.

Given ongoing uncertainty about the duration and additional outcomes from this tragic war, the authors of this scientific article recommend crafting new political strategies for conserving biodiversity while also working for peace in Ukraine.

Contact for comment or to request a copy of the original paper: Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao (+1 425 393 7595, egallo@uw.edu); Nives Dolšak (nives@uw.edu); Duan Biggs (duan.biggs@nau.edu), Birgita Hansen b.hansen@federation.edu.au

Media stories about this research have been published in Mongabay, KITV and The Conversation:

https://news.mongabay.com/2023/02/russian-invasion-hinders-global-biodiversity-conservation-study-shows/

https://www.kitv.com/news/local/russia-ukraine-war-has-had-global-impact-and-disruption-on-conservation-studies-uh-researcher-finds/article_230e19ba-af61-11ed-b59e-4fd993a520d9.html

https://theconversation.com/russias-aggression-threatens-efforts-to-protect-nature-beyond-ukraine-198150?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=bylinetwitterbutton

Australian Research Data Commons Initiative and Co-investment

The ARDC is coinvesting $3.6 million to address pressing research data challenges for Australia’s food security. This includes a new initiative supporting data sharing to improve Australia’s food security. CeRDI is collaborating on the initiative in partnership with The National Farmers Federation. The Data Sharing Initiative project received investment from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC). The ARDC is funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

Food Security Data Challenges Projects: https://ardc.edu.au/multi_project/food-security-data-challenges-projects/

Staff profile: Peggy Hsu


Research Data Coordinator: Peggy Hsu

Peggy Hsu has joined CeRDI on secondment from her role as Liaison Librarian at Federation University. While at CeRDI, Peggy is Research Data Coordinator with the GRDC Data Partnerships Initiative. She is supporting project managers and researchers in making their data FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) in addition to other training and education responsibilities.

Peggy has been a Liaison Librarian with the University library since 2006 in a role which serendipitously brought together all her degrees/diplomas into one job - ‘Master of Information Management’, ‘Graduate Diploma of Education’, and ‘Diploma of Film and Television Production’. As Liaison Librarian Peggy is involved in teaching and assisting a range of library clients with their queries from undergraduates, postgraduates, and teaching staff. Liaison help ranges from assistance with database searching, weird referencing queries, and sometimes, extensive help with EndNote.

While all the Liaisons create or edit learning objects for Moodle and library guides, Peggy has specialised in making demonstration videos for YouTube and skilling up interested others in the team to use PowToon, Camtasia and Audacity. Peggy also came up with an idea for gamifying the CRAAP Test set of evaluation criteria and received a small grant from what was then CLIPP to develop the idea with a team from ITS. If you have any curiosity about the ‘CRAAP Test Game’ it can be found here .

News snippets

Food Agility CRC Summit: The Digital Agrifood Summit (DAS23) will return to Wagga Wagga on 11-12 October 2023. This year’s theme, Paddock to Profit, will examine how Australia’s agrifood industry can apply data-driven solutions to increase value and drive sustainability across supply chains. Federation University is a partner on the Food Agility CRC and members of the CeRDI team will be attending this event.

Soil Science Australia 2023 Conference: CeRDI researchers Assoc Prof Peter Dahlhaus, Dr Nathan Robinson, Dr Megan Wong, and PhD candidate Andrew MacLeod are planning to present research at the upcoming Soil Science Australia Conference in Darwin in June 2023. Further details about this event will be included in a future issue of the newsletter.

Higher Degrees by Research news

CeRDI’s PhD candidates are conducting research on diverse topics, many with industry support. Our current PhD candidates include:

•   Andrew MacLeod . Research title: Advancing syntactic and semantic interoperability for data in the agricultural and food industries.
•   Dr Basharat Ali . Research title: Investigating the role of data, digital agriculture and resilience in agricultural performance.
•   Elissa Ashton-Smith . Research title: The conservation and management of sandy beach ecosystems: Exploring the divergence between policy, science and socio-cultural expectations for stewardship and use.
•   Robert Clark . Research title: Predicting crop yield within the growing season at sub-paddock scale: A big data approach.
•   Rekha Attanayake . Research title: Developing new methods to help farmers make decisions on lime use and lime requirement.
•   Peter Weir . Research title: In-paddock variability of plant available water.

About CeRDI

The Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) is a research centre at Federation University Australia focused on:

the application of information and communications technology (ICT) and the development of innovative, world class knowledge management systems;
significantly advancing the digital literacy and knowledge management capabilities of partner organisations;
fostering partnerships for the development and implementation of eResearch with industry, government and academia; and
measuring the impact of eResearch and digital innovation through longitudinal research.

Contact CeRDI

For further details about CeRDI’s diverse portfolio of research please visit our website: www.cerdi.edu.au, or contact Director, Associate Professor Helen Thompson: h.thompson@federation.edu.au

Mailing Address

Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation
Federation University Australia
PO Box 691
Ballarat Vic 3353

Office Location

Suite 15, Greenhill Enterprise Centre
Ballarat Technology Park
University Drive
Mount Helen Vic 3350

Phone: +61 3 5327 9314
Email: support@cerdi.edu.au

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