Third Space: The Depth

Recently we co-organised a virtual event with Sydney Informatics Hub (SIH) titled Third Space: The Depth, the first of hopefully many to explore the data-intensive research support space in different institutions. Here we share presentations from this event and exciting next steps.

Our aim for this informal web event was to get to know each other and to begin discussing how we can work together to better define, and advocate for, ‘third spacers’ as the workforce of data-intensive research enablers that sits somewhere between traditional academic- and professional-style roles. We were pleased to feature ten speakers from nine institutions and organisations, and see a crowd of almost 100 people.

Here is the recording for your interest:

And here are presentation slides from our speakers: 

  • Michelle Barker, OECD
  • Ed Tescari & Karen Thompson, MDAP, University of Melbourne 
  • Joel Nothman, SIH, University of Sydney
  • Jarrod Hurley, Astronomy Data and Computing Service (ADACS), Swinburne University of Technology
  • Jonathan Arthur, Intersect
  • Komathy Padmanabhan, Monash Data Science and AI Platform, Monash University
  • Luis Torres, The Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute (A2I2), Deakin University
  • John Zic & Janet Esposito, CSIRO
  • Mark Crowe, Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF)
  • Darya Vanichkina, SIH, University of Sydney

Next Steps

Next, we would like to continue connecting and growing our community, and work together to create a ‘Document of Diversity’, which will be a reference document for us all that captures aspects of our roles working in the ‘third space’ including:

  • Defining ‘third spacers’ and the ‘third space’: roles, stakeholders, and modes of work
  • Managing relationships with clients, colleagues and funding bodies
  • Future aspirations as a community

We plan to distill insights from this process and share with collaborators, stakeholders, management, and policymakers. 

If you would like to help us build this community, our reference document, or join us for our next meeting in late July (tentatively scheduled for 30/7), please let us know by email and we will add you to our mailing list.

Lead image: Charles Deluvio

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