Australia Telescope National Facility

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The National Committee for Data in Science, established on 25 February 2008, is the newest of the 20 National Committees hosted by the Australian Academy for Science.

Scientific research is increasingly dependent on large quantities of data, such as images of the early Universe, sequences of genes, or surveys of minerals deep beneath the ground. It is essential that Australian scientists are able to manage and analyse these data using the best techniques available. The National Committee for Data in Science (NCDS) has been established to facilitate this. Its goals are:

• To promote and facilitate Data Science across all disciplines of Australian Science, and to facilitate cross-fertilisation of techniques between them
• To provide a National Data Science voice, and represent and promote Australian science in international Data Science and data management forums such as CODATA and ICSU.
• To organise a regular National Data Science workshop, to cross-fertilise Data Science and data management techniques from different disciplines (e.g. astronomy, bioinformatics, geophysics, environmental sciences, materials sciences).
• To promote the development of forward-thinking data management policies and protocols in Australian science, encouraging Open Access policies, and overcoming the Digital Divide.
• To promote the adoption of standards for data exchange within and across disciplines

At the same time as establishing the NCDS, the Academy decided that Australia should join CODATA, the Committee on Scientific Data and Information of the International Council for Science (ICSU). The NCDS therefore also represents CODATA in Australia, and provides linkages between CODATA and Australian Science. The chair of the NCDS is the Australian delegate to CODATA.