QCIF and UQ head to iAwards national final

QCIF and The University of Queensland are in the running for an Australian Information Industry Association national iAward after placing in the state competition.

QCIF and UQ were a Merit Recipient in the Technology Platform Solution category in the Queensland iAwards at CQUniversity in Brisbane on Thursday, 20 July. 

The recognition was for KeyPoint, an eResearch platform that revolutionises the way data stewards manage and share sensitive research data for analysis by approved researchers, with strict governance controls at scale.

QCIF Director of Data Science Dr Dominique (Dom) Gorse said the Queensland award marks a milestone in the journey to build a trusted research environment, from the ground up, in less than a year. 

“This award acknowledges the pivotal role that platforms like KeyPoint play in harnessing data for the greater good while safeguarding against malicious actors and preserving individual privacy,” said Dom.   

QCIF Head of Data and Software Solutions Peter Marendy, KeyPoint’s platform development lead, said: “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication from everyone that has contributed to the development of the platform.”

QCIF’s KeyPoint team also includes Stephen Bird, Kathy Dallest, Vitaly Gnyubkin, Diego Guillen, Mark Hoffmann, Michael Mallon, John Perry and Dr Hoylen Sue. 

QCIF collaborated on KeyPoint with UQ’s Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC), Faculty of Medicine, and its Research Computing Centre (RCC), with co-investment from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC). 

QDHeC Director Associate Professor Clair Sullivan congratulated the team for the well-deserved recognition: “We are on the cusp of exciting change, creating the platforms and systems to truly transform how healthcare will be delivered in future,” she said.

The Director of the UQ Faculty of Medicine’s Research and Statistical Support Service, Professor Jason Ferris, added: “The collaborative efforts between QCIF and UQ to develop KeyPoint is a true game changer for how academics work with and share sensitive data on a global scale.”

RCC Chief Technology Officer Jake Carroll said many researchers are now involved in translational research which frequently necessitates complex data governance requirements.

“We are fortunate to have the people and skills at UQ and QCIF, and the infrastructure, to develop and support systems, such as KeyPoint, that will meet these requirements, providing researchers assurance and a trusted platform to carry out their impactful work,” said Jake.

KeyPoint will compete in the national iAwards on 31 August at a gala event at SkyCity Adelaide.

AIIA CEO Simon Bush said: “We are incredibly proud to celebrate the 30th annual iAwards this year. This was a record-breaking year for the iAwards with the most entries received in the last five years, with incredibly high-quality submissions from all entrants. This has certainly put the judges through their paces.

“All entrants deserve recognition for their hard work and brilliant ideas. We want to thank them for their continued commitment to furthering Australia’s capability in innovation technology.” 

The iAwards are Australia’s longest running innovation recognition program.

Update: Although KeyPoint did not win a national iAward, announced on 31 August, the team is incredibly proud to have been a finalist.