Research data federation

The Visualising Australasia’s Soil (VAS) project aims to establish a research data federation that enables soil data from both public and private sectors to be easily discovered through user-friendly online portals. This federation is built on agreed governance and data stewardship frameworks.

The project is being conducted in three phases. This document focuses on Phase 2, which has three key objectives:

1. Co-develop the VAS online portal to demonstrate its value to participants, including farming groups and researchers.

2. Maximise the reuse potential of federated soil data to support research innovation and meet the needs of project participants.

3. Transition to a sustainable governance and business model to ensure the VAS data federation continues beyond the life of the Soil CRC.
   
   

To achieve these goals, the project employed a diverse set of methods, including:

• Social science research to evaluate project impact

• Technology systems for data aggregation and interoperability

• Tools for soil data input and output

• Education and communication around data stewardship and literacy
  
  

A key outcome of the research is the successful demonstration that soil data from across Australasia can be made Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR), while respecting the access conditions set by data custodians. The project has developed a functional soil data federation system, accessible via the VAS portal, which was co-designed with participants to meet their needs and deliver standardised data—subject to custodians’ consent.

For farmer groups and catchment managers, the portal offers a clear value proposition: a trusted, supported, web-based spatial soil data management system tailored to their location and requirements.