Bioplatforms Australia joins global Technician Commitment community
Bioplatforms Australia has formally pledged to address workforce challenges facing technical staff who are critical to research and teaching activities.
Now a formal supporter of the internationally recognised Technician Commitment, Bioplatforms Australia joins a global community working to improve visibility and recognition of the technical workforce in higher education, research and innovation.
Bioplatforms Australia provides national research infrastructure and capabilities for omics-based research, connecting researchers across Australia with advanced genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics and synthetic biology technologies and expertise.
Funded through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), Bioplatforms’ network spans 21 research facilities and 467 staff across Australia, providing researchers with access to world-class capabilities that enable complex, large-scale research beyond the capacity of individual laboratories.
The technical workforce across this network brings specialist expertise to research projects at every stage, from experimental design and sample processing through to sequencing, molecular analysis and data interpretation.
Working across facilities, disciplines and research organisations, technical professionals help researchers select and apply complex technologies, develop fit-for-purpose approaches and translate scientific questions into robust research programmes.
These capabilities support research addressing major challenges across human health, including mental health and disease research; agriculture and food security; biodiversity and the environment; biosecurity; and biotechnology and drug discovery. Through its national Framework Initiatives and other community-led programmes, Bioplatforms brings together researchers, technical experts and research facilities to tackle complex scientific questions, accelerate discovery and generate open-access datasets and resources for the broader research community.
Andrew Gilbert, Chief Executive at Bioplatforms Australia, said:
“Technical professionals are fundamental to the way Bioplatforms Australia delivers national research infrastructure. Their specialist knowledge and practical expertise enable researchers to turn complex scientific questions into research outcomes. By joining the Technician Commitment, we are making a clear commitment to recognising their contribution and creating greater opportunities for their development and career progression.”
Bioplatforms Australia’s commitment to the Technician Commitment sits within a broader NCRIS focus on workforce development across Australia’s research infrastructure sector. This is reflected in recent investment in national programmes led by organisations including Microscopy Australia and Australian Research Data Commons, supporting professional development, fellowship opportunities, and training frameworks for technical staff, while strengthening career pathways across the sector.
The Technician Commitment is a pledge to implement a long-term action plan to enhance technical careers, opportunities and skills within the organisation.
Dr Kelly Vere, MBE, Director for the Technician Commitment and the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy also commented.
"Bioplatforms Australia is one of the growing number of organisations we are proud to welcome to the growing Australian Technician Commitment community. The specialist research infrastructure and capabilities provided by this team will help to strengthen Australia’s research infrastructure workforce, to help create a sustainable and future-ready workforce across the country."
Since launching in 2017, it has now grown to a global community of more than 150 organisations championing technicians and their contributions to higher education and research. The initiative is hosted by the UK Institute of Technical Skills & Strategy.
Find out more about Bioplatforms Australia and its national research infrastructure: https://bioplatforms.com/
