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<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Dear colleagues,</span>
<p><span style="color: black;">This email is to advise you that the </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/sjhWCZY1NqixyPzMyizfVAsB_cbr?domain=us3.mailchimp.com" target="_blank" title="https://us3.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.education.gov.au%2fnational-research-infrastructure%2fresources%2f2026-nri-roadmap-exposure-draft&xid=78349854a1&uid=122237946&iid=f97882c249&pool=cts&v=2&c=1790574254&h=714b5530bc8c6fefa0c423999" data-outlook-id="0cb1efdb-fbbd-445a-b05a-bc3f65f7b71d" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><u>National
Research Infrastructure Roadmap Exposure Draft</u></a></span><span style="color: black;"> is now available for review. Consultation on the exposure draft will remain open until Monday, 26 October.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">The NRI Roadmap is refreshed every five years and serves as a guide for government investment in research infrastructure including the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)</span>, which is a significant
source of funding allocated by Astronomy Australia Ltd in support of astronomy<span style="color: black;">. The Exposure Draft has been informed by input from several consultation processes, and has taken into account a number of submissions prepared by AAL
over the last two years. We are endeavouring to prepare a coordinated response from across the astronomy community.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">The draft outlines a range of considerations for Australia’s future investment in NRI. We recommend reading through the whole exposure draft, but key points of relevance for astronomy include:</span></p>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
The need for improved coordination of services, governance models, planning, prioritisation access pathways and institutional arrangements.</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Broad agreement for a greater focus on research translation, including improving industry engagement with and use of research infrastructure.</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
International collaboration is recognised as a critical tool for Australia to access sophisticated instrumentation and expertise<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" role="presentation">.</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" role="presentation">R</span>ecognition that <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" role="presentation">
Australia</span> need<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" role="presentation">s</span> to identify which capabilities require sovereign or assured access, and where we should continue to work with partners to access the world's leading infrastructure.</li></ul>
<p><span style="color: black;">Our early assessment is that </span>there is an opportunity for the astronomy community to provide input on some elements of the draft Roadmap relating to how astronomy interfaces with the research infrastructure
<span style="color: black;">workforce, digital research infrastructure, fabrication, observation, and measurement.</span> There is also an opportunity to identify how astronomy infrastructure and expertise can support the capability needs of other disciplines
and thereby demonstrate greater value.</p>
<p><span style="color: black;">Consultation is being carried out via an online survey with 16 key questions. AAL has convened a working group to coordinate a joint astronomy response</span> with the following members<span style="color: black;">:</span></p>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Paul Lasky</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Cath Trott</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Sarah Brough</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Michele <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" role="presentation">Trenti</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Geraint Lewis</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Simon Ellingsen)</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; margin: 0cm;">
Sarah Caddy</li></ul>
<p><span style="color: black;">You are welcome to contact us, the members above, or the AAL member representative for your institution if you would like to input into the joint submission. You are also welcome to submit your own thoughts directly to the NRI
Roadmap Advisory Group using the link below.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><br>
</span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://consultations.education.gov.au/2026-nri-roadmap-exposure-draft" target="_blank" title="https://consultations.education.gov.au/2026-nri-roadmap-exposure-draft" data-outlook-id="44231dff-38b0-4eed-8727-8640e55970be" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><u>2026
National Research Infrastructure Roadmap Exposure Draft Consultation - Department of Education</u></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">If you have any questions, please contact me at </span>
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:alexander.cooke@astronomyaustralia.org.au?subject=NRI%20Roadmap%20Exposure%20Draft&body=" target="_blank" title="mailto:alexander.cooke@astronomyaustralia.org.au?subject=nri%20roadmap%20exposure%20draft&body=" data-outlook-id="675fa3e7-f930-451a-b2b2-f883f751520c" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><u>alexander.cooke@astronomyaustralia.org.au</u></a></span><span style="color: black;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">Kind regards</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">Alexander Cooke<br>
CEO, Astronomy Australia Limited</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://consultations.education.gov.au/2026-nri-roadmap-exposure-draft" target="_blank" title="https://consultations.education.gov.au/2026-nri-roadmap-exposure-draft" data-outlook-id="bbd093f9-8397-4ec9-8eff-e978252f42f5" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><u>2026
National Research Infrastructure Roadmap Exposure Draft Consultation - Department of Education</u></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://consultations.education.gov.au/2026-nri-roadmap-exposure-draft/survey?page=1" data-outlook-id="69e6f1d9-1ffe-48e2-b585-d1af0ad0fdc4" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><u>Provide your input
to the 2026 NRI Roadmap Exposure Draft Consultation</u></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
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