9
Partners
156
People
9
projects
25
Publications
Data Commons
Supporting flagship omic datasets from key research areas
National Genome Repository
Establishing a secure, centralised repository for human genomic data
Access and Security
Implementing shared identity and access management for streamlined, secure access
Innovation Pilots
Demonstrating emerging approaches to genomic data sharing
Expertise and Training
Providing technical leadership, support, and training for sustainable infrastructure use
National Repository For Human Omics Research Data Connected to Computing Resources
NCI’s Genomics and Biomedical Data (GBD) Pillar aims to provide Australian researchers and health service providers with transformative infrastructure capability to address their most pressing challenges in data and computation. This project will deliver a nation-first secure, centralised repository for human genomic data with controlled access protocols. This repository will enable cohort data owners, researchers, and the industry sector to host, access, and analyse human genomics cohorts in ways that comply with the wishes of the consented patient participants, all in a securely managed environment.
Trust & Identity for Human Genomics Research Infrastructure
The AAF are partnering with national research infrastructures to implement Australia’s Trust and Identity Framework, enabling seamless and secure access by researchers, industry and government to instrument, analysis and compute offerings.
As experts in trust and identity, the Australian Access Federation (AAF) have partnered with the Australia BioCommons’ GUARDIANS project to implement best practice identity and access management solutions to improve Australia’s capacity to share human omics research data securely and responsibly.
ELSI: Omics Data Beyond Borders, Law, Ethics and Governance
The ELSI project aims to streamline the accessibility and movement of Australian genomic research data by aligning with relevant national and international regulatory frameworks. To ensure compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the initiative focuses on identifying data types, locations, and data flow pathways to determine when data transfers constitute legal disclosures. By applying these considerations to specific GUARDIANS use cases, the project seeks to clarify the legal liabilities of Australian Privacy Principles (APP) entities and identify necessary areas for policy reform to support seamless global data integration.
GUARDIANS
GUARDIANS (human Genomics Uplift for Australia through Research Data Infrastructure At National Scale) is accelerating human genomics and related omics research in Australia through the development of world-class digital infrastructure.
The task
The GUARDIANS mission is to empower Australian researchers to easily and securely discover, access, and analyse human genomics data across national infrastructure, using the latest tools and resources.
Key Deliverables:
Data Commons: Supporting flagship omic datasets from key research areas.
National Genome Repository: Establishing a secure, centralised repository for human genomic data.
Access and Security: Implementing shared identity and access management for streamlined, secure researcher access.
Innovation Pilots: Demonstrating emerging approaches to genomic data sharing.
Expertise and Training: Providing technical leadership, support, and training for sustainable infrastructure use.
The Opportunity
Australia's human genomics research datasets present unparalleled opportunities to enhance our understanding of health, disease mechanisms, and precision medicine. However, data fragmentation, access barriers, and governance complexity limit their use. GUARDIANS is addressing these challenges by developing standardised interfaces, harmonised data formats, ethical access rules, and interoperable institutional policies and technologies. Provision of these vital components will enable researchers to discover, access, and analyse critical data from multiple research datasets, unlocking opportunities for discovery.
Our Approach
GUARDIANS aligns with international standards, including those of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH), while addressing Australia's specific ethical, legal, and social context. Inspired by the NCRIS Roadmap, NAGIM Implementation Recommendations, the program builds on previous initiatives such as the Human Genomes Platform Project, and follows an iterative implementation model to ensure practical, scalable outcomes.
The Investment
GUARDIANS is funded by NCRIS through Bioplatforms Australia. This Australian BioCommons coordinated program began in 2023, with project implementation activities now underway. Deployment is expected to continue through 2027.
GUARDIANS is a collaboration among leading Australian genomics research and infrastructure organisations, including:
Our Publications
GUARDIANS is being delivered in partnership with:
