Presentation Summary
Established in 2012 as part of the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), the Nectar Research Cloud is Australia's national research cloud infrastructure, operating as a federation of nodes across multiple research institutions. This distributed model has evolved into a robust platform supporting over 4,000 researchers with flexible, secure, and high-performance computing services. As research demands grow, Nectar continues to adapt, supporting both traditional and emerging fields, including data-intensive disciplines such as artificial intelligence and climate science.
Through strategic partnerships and enhanced GPU computing resources, Nectar empowers researchers to tackle increasingly complex problems, expanding opportunities for innovation and collaboration. Our services, such as Virtual Desktops and interactive platforms like JupyterHub, facilitate accessible and reproducible research practices, ensuring that researchers across disciplines and institutions can engage fully with data-driven inquiry and discovery.
Looking to the future, Nectar is expanding geographically and enhancing resilience through new nodes, with a particular focus on cybersecurity and service quality. Our new National Node, in collaboration with AARNet, will strengthen Nectar's core services and support national-scale research projects, while working toward ISO27001 certification to ensure the highest standards of security and service management. The introduction of a High Throughput Computing service will further broaden our capacity to support extensive data processing needs, reinforcing Nectar's position as a robust, distributed infrastructure that strengthens Australian research capabilities.
In this presentation, we will demonstrate how Nectar’s evolving portfolio of services meets the current and future needs of higher education and research, positioning Australia’s research community to address complex challenges and contribute meaningfully to global knowledge. By fostering a digitally accelerated and resilient infrastructure, Nectar continues to empower Australian researchers to achieve excellence, foster collaboration, and drive impactful, sustainable advancements.
Meet the Speakers
Dr Bernard Meade
Manager, Nectar Research Cloud Operations, Australian Research Data Commons
Bernard Meade is the Manager of ARDC Nectar Research Cloud operations, bringing over 28 years of IT experience in Higher Education. With a PhD in astronomy instrumentation, he has dedicated two decades to supporting research computing infrastructure. Since the Nectar Research Cloud's launch in 2012, he has played a key role in its operations, combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of researchers' needs.
Sonia Ramza
Manager, Nectar User Support, Australian Research Data Commons
Sonia Ramza is the User Support manager for the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud, having previously worked in training and research support roles.
