Consortium


The Australian Microbiome Initiative is an Australian wide collaboration founded on two established Bioplatforms Australia framework data initiatives: Marine Microbes and Biomes of Australian Soil Environments (BASE). The consortium involves researchers from more than 40 institutions supported by four founding partners.

Core funding partners

The core partners funding the establishment of the Australian Microbiome initiative are Bioplatforms Australia and IMOS through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), CSIRO, and Parks Australia through the Bush Blitz program funded by the Australian Government and BHP. 

The consortium receives significant investment from the research community both as cash and in-kind investment. The consortium will seek to leverage further investment from other organisations to ensure the totality of the program is funded.

Core project team
  • Scientific Lead – Dr Andrew Bissett
  • Project Management – Dr Sophie Mazard
  • Protocols and methods – Dr Jodie van de Kamp
  • Analytics – Dr Matthew Smith

Committees and Working groups
Steering committee

The Steering Committee provides strategic direction and leadership to the Australian Microbiome Initiative consortium. The Committee ensures the achievement of program objectives by making decisions on matters that impact on the milestones and outcomes agreed in the Australian Microbiome Initiative consortium Collaborative Agreement.

Terms of Reference for the Steering Committee pdf

  • Prof Justin Seymour – Chair
    NSW-IMOS Node Leader. Professor at the University Technology Sydney, leader of the Climate Change Cluster (C3) Ocean Microbes and Healthy Oceans research program.
  • Anthony Whalen – Parks Australia
    General Manager, Australian Biological Resources Study, Parks Australia, Department of the Environment and Energy
  • Dr Andrew Bissett – CSIRO
    Scientific lead
  • Andrew Gilbert – Bioplatforms Australia
    Chief Executive – Bioplatforms Australia
  • Dr Austen Ganley – University of Auckland

Observer – Dr Sophie Mazard, Project manager, Bioplatforms Australia 

Scientific coordination working group

The Scientific Coordination working group is accountable for:

  • Fostering collaboration and willing to liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders both within and outside of the consortium
  • Establishing operating procedures and workflows for the initiative
  • Consult with research community to establish criteria for the scientific assessment of material to be processed by the initiative Consult with research community to deliver a coordinated manual.

Terms of Reference for the Scientific coordination working group (draft) pdf

  • Dr Mark Brown – Chair
    Senior Research Fellow, School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle
  • Prof Torsten Thomas
    ARC Future Fellow and Director of the Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, UNSW
  • Dr Martin Ostrowski
    Senior Research Associate in the Climate Change Cluster, University Technology Sydney.
  • Dr Nicole Webster
    Principal research scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and research fellow at the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, UQ.
  • Prof Jeff Powell
    Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
  • Assoc Prof Pauline Mele
    Principal Research Scientist, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Victoria
    Assoc. Professor at the School of Applied Systems Biology and AgriBio the Centre for AgriBioscience at Latrobe University
  • Dr Martin Breed
    Lecturer in Biology (Ecology/Organismal Biology) at Flinders University
  • Assoc Prof Belinda Ferrari
    Deputy Head of School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences and Director of Research; Assoc Professor and ARC Future Fellow at UNSW
  • Prof Susanne Schmidt
    School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland
  • Dr Talitha Santini
    Senior Lecturer, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia

Observer – Dr Sophie Mazard, Project manager, Bioplatforms Australia 

Proposal Assessment panel
  • Dr Mark Brown – Chair
  • Prof Jeff Powell
  • Dr Martin Ostrowski
Data management and analytics working group

The Data Management working group is accountable for:

  • Ensuring analytics and data management (flow, storage, versioning, access) are current best practice and recommend carefully considered amendments
  • Assist the Core Data team and the Steering Committee by providing recommendation on prioritisation of activities
  • Through their embedded role in the research community, provide feedback for needs of the community and gaps related to data products and their delivery. Recommend potential new data types and portal development. [activities to be conducted in alignment with the End user strategy working group]
  • Through their embedded role in the research community, provide feedback on the use of the data portal

Terms of Reference for the working group (draft) pdf

  • Dr Matthew Smith – Chair
    CSIRO – Hobart
  • Prof Torsten Thomas
    ARC Future Fellow and Director of the Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, UNSW
  • Dr Martin Ostrowski
    Senior Research Associate in the Climate Change Cluster, University Technology Sydney.
  • Dr Paul Dennis
    The University of Queensland
  • Dr Amaranta Focardi
    Macquarie University
  • Jeff Christiansen
    Associate Director (Engagements and Operations), Australian BioCommons

Observer – Dr Sophie Mazard, Project manager, Bioplatforms Australia 

Observer – Johan Gustafsson, bioinformatics engagement officer, Bioplatforms

End users strategy working group

The End User Strategy working group is accountable for:

  • Developing and fostering mutually beneficial links with a broad range of end-user groups
  • Identifying new areas for extension of project with links to end-user group
  • Identifying potential co-investment that could be brought into the program from engaged end-user groups

Tasks:

  • Identify and consult with end users (potential for organising end user engagement workshop)
  • Develop an effective engagement strategy between the various stakeholders (by June 2020)

Terms of Reference for the working group (draft) pdf

  • Indi Hodgson-Johnston – Chair
    Deputy Director IMOS – Hobart
  • Dr Katie Dafforn
    Macquarie University
  • Dr Gupta Vadakattu
    CSIRO
  • Jaimie Potts
    NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
  • Jo Harding
    Parks Australia – BushBlitz Manager

Observer (June 2020) – Jess Melbourne-Thomas, CSIRO (assist with the strategy development)

Observer – Dr Sophie Mazard, Project manager, Bioplatforms Australia 

Consortium members

The consortium involves several organisations and researchers from more than 40 institutions

External advisors