Institutional Research Support
Maximising research productivity and real-world impact requires researchers to confidently apply emerging digital research technologies directly to their investigations.
Intersect’s embedded Digital Research Analyst (DRA) model is core to institutional membership. DRAs act as trusted advisor, helping research teams identify optimal, secure technical stacks while actively contextualising abstract skills learned in training to solve highly specific, domain-level research challenges.
Localised Expertise & Domain Integration
Each member university is provisioned with one or more dedicated, on-campus Digital Research Analysts (DRAs). These experts embed deeply within the local institution, bringing a customised suite of advanced technical skills tailored to match the specific research profile and strategic focuses of that university.
Our combined Knowledge and Expertise
Beyond localised on-campus support, individual DRAs operate as part of a unified, cross-institutional network. This architecture effectively pools decades of combined specialised digital research experience. When an investigator encounters a highly niche problem, their local DRA can instantly leverage the collective intelligence of the entire network.
Digital Research Analyst (DRA) Core Activities
Digital Research Analysts (DRAs) serve as the primary conduits for researcher enablement and institutional research support. Synthesising advanced technical expertise with a deep understanding of the academic ecosystem, DRAs adapt their workflows to align with the university’s strategic research priorities.
DRA Support
Training
Researcher Aid in Technology Use
Research Support
Researcher Engagement
Research Application Support
Research strategy, policy and procedures
Relevant personal expertise, augmented by the Services Team
Programming, scripting, and analytics
DRAs deliver support across seven key operational domains:
Advanced Digital Skills Training & Curriculum Architecture
DRAs spearhead the end-to-end lifecycle of digital research skills development alongside our Digital Research Trainers (DRTs). This extends to active curriculum ideation, pedagogical development, and advanced technical courses.
Embedded Consultation & Communities of Practice
Providing high-touch, 1-on-1 consultation, DRAs diagnose technical bottlenecks within research projects. They bridge the gap between abstract technology and applied science by embedding within research teams and fostering self-sustaining technical communities.
Strategy, Governance, & Institutional Policy Alignment
DRAs translate institutional compliance frameworks into actionable research workflows. They support both individual investigators and university executives in authoring robust Research Data Management (RDM) plans, crafting policy, and ensuring alignment with global Open Science and FAIR data principles.
Strategic Researcher Engagement & Needs Analysis
Acting as a critical feedback loop between the research office and central IT, DRAs conduct structured institutional needs analyses. They ensure university executives understand evolving infrastructure demands while driving researcher adoption of existing enterprise platforms.
💡 The DRA Integration Advantage
Because DRAs sit at the intersection of academic research and enterprise technology infrastructure, they prevent "shadow IT" practices. They protect institutional data security while accelerating the velocity of scientific discovery.
Automation, Scripting, & Advanced Data Analytics
DRAs provide crucial technical intervention by supporting the researchers in developing custom scripts to automate data collection, processing, and visualisation. They specialise in replacing error-prone manual data workflows with reproducible, programmatic pipelines.
Research Application Lifecycle & Data Infrastructure Support
DRAs deliver expert application-level guidance for specialised research software, ensuring data integrity from collection to archiving. They also assist university IT with user access management, compliance monitoring, and platform administration.
High-Performance Computing (HPC) & Infrastructure Architecture
DRAs demystify complex compute environments, lowering the barrier to entry for resource-intensive research. They assist investigators in transitioning desktop workloads to national high-performance computing clusters and scalable cloud environments.
Our DRAs and Trainers
Connect directly with our embedded on-campus Digital Research Analysts (DRAs) and specialist Digital Research Trainers (DRTs) who drive digital capabilities, personalized consulting, and hands-on upskilling across member institutions.
Find Your Local Campus Specialist
Explore bios, university affiliations, and technical domain specialties across our dedicated DRA and Trainer directory.
Troubleshooting
Encountering errors, code pipeline failures, or technical roadblocks in your research workflow? Submit a ticket directly into our centralised queue. Our technical services team and on-campus analysts will diagnose the problem and provide targeted resolution.
Log a Technical Support Ticket
From HPC compilation and job script failures to REDCap project configuration, R/Python debugging, and data automation issues—our specialist team is on standby to assist you.
Looking for Instant Answers?
Click a topic below to jump directly to self-service resources, schedules, and platform guidance across our website:
Consortium Membership Benefits
Membership with Intersect provides organisations with a dedicated, on-campus Digital Research Analyst (DRA) who serves as a vital bridge between university IT, executive leadership, and the researcher community. Backed by a national pool of specialised data scientists, software engineers, and IT infrastructure experts, this model delivers decades of Intersect's collective technical expertise.
Explore Consortium Membership
Learn more about our institutional membership models, DRA deployment options, and how your university or organisation can become part of the Intersect consortium.
Our Members
Our consortium proudly empowers researchers across our member universities and partner organisations throughout Australia:
