National Imaging Facility Strategy
2024 – 2028
Vision: Enable Australian imaging science to unlock solutions to major challenges.
Mission: Make cutting-edge imaging capabilities accessible to Australian researchers and industry to enable significant impacts on national health challenges and to accelerate Australian innovation.
Expertise
Goal: Strengthen Australia’s community of world-leading imaging experts and users.
Driver: World-leading imaging magnifies the productivity and impact of outstanding researchers, but it is sophisticated and difficult to use, requiring experts with deep imaging knowledge.
Actions:
- Transition to a new expertise model that is scalable, sustainable, and flexible.
- Advocate for the critical role of imaging research infrastructure experts and leaders in imaging and its applications.
- Expand Australia’s community of users through training and increasing accessibility.
Technology
Goal: Keep Australia at the forefront of physical imaging research infrastructure.
Driver: Imaging is transforming scientific discovery and medical science.
Actions:
- Maintain and grow capability in transformative imaging technologies.
- Build national imaging capacity to answer questions that benefit Australia’s diverse population.
- Prioritise technology investments for innovation and international comparative advantage.
Impact
Goal: Facilitate the translation of research to benefit national health challenges and the broader economy.
Driver: Imaging is a core technology for translating research, and strongly aligns with policy objectives of the Australian and state governments.
Actions:
- Invest in the infrastructure and people that help translate research.
- Support an end-to-end imaging translation pipeline that helps move research through to practice in the health system, product development or commercialisation.
- Support and promote the impact of imaging research.
Data
Goal: Generate valuable imaging data collections that answer important medical research questions.
Driver: Imaging data collections are exploding in size and complexity, while artificial intelligence techniques can provide researchers a wealth of new knowledge.
Actions:
- Partner with organised research communities to create national imaging data assets.
- Operate national-scale digital research infrastructure for imaging to help facilities and their users tackle data challenges.
- Foster the application of artificial intelligence methods to imaging data.
Collaboration
Goal: Ensure that NIF has the partnerships and resources to deliver on its vision.
Driver: The increased demand for imaging capabilities in science, medicine and industry requires strong collaboration and funding to operate effectively and deliver maximum impact.
Actions:
- Operate as an accessible, national-scale research imaging platform.
- Collaborate with Australian communities that are addressing national challenges and like-minded international organisations.
- Attract and leverage diverse investment to maximise NIF’s capacity and capability.
