Seeds of Science: Establishing a Prototype Repository for Australian Primary Observable Datasets (PODs)

White seed heads of wild grass in sunlight. Image: Pietro Caspani

Seeds of Science aims to establish Australia’s first prototype repository for Primary Observable Datasets (PODs) to help preserve Australia’s geochemical heritage, while improving data reproducibility and integrity to support cross-agency collaboration across the critical minerals sector.

Overview

Led by Dr Angus Nixon (Project Director, Curtin University) and Dr Bryant Ware (Project Manager), with technical leadership from the AuScope Virtual Research Environment (AVRE) and EarthBank teams, the project aims to establish Australia’s first prototype repository for Primary Observable Datasets (PODs) — the raw geochemical measurements that underpin scientific discoveries.

The project will scope and design a national system that preserves, links, and provides long‑term access to these foundational datasets, ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and future re‑use across Australia’s geoscience research ecosystem.

The Challenge

Australia currently lacks a national system for preserving raw geochemical data, meaning:

  • Foundational measurements are often lost, inaccessible, or siloed

  • Published results cannot always be verified or reprocessed

  • Updated scientific constants or new analytical techniques cannot be applied to old data

  • Researchers duplicate analyses due to missing or incomplete datasets

  • No consistent chain‑of‑custody (CoC) exists from instrument → sample → publication

By creating a new repository for PODs, the team at Curtin aims to address a current gap in geochemical data usability and transparency, strengthening FAIR and Open science and enabling reprocessing of ‘known’ datasets for potential unique discoveries.

Expected Outcomes

  • A complete implementation plan for a National PODs Geochemical Repository.

  • Defined technical requirements, workflows and metadata schemas.

  • Prototype QA/QC processes and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) templates.

  • A mapped CoC model that links PODs to samples, processed data and published assets.

  • Integration pathways with AuScope’s Data Repository, EarthBank, NCI and external systems.

  • A governance and access policy framework for the repository aligned with FAIR and CARE principles.

What are the benefits?

  • Improving Geochemical Open and FAIR Science: the POD Data repository will enhance reproducibility and scientific integrity through transparent data provenance, while safeguarding raw analytical data across the national geochemistry ecosystem.

  • Strengthen Geochemical Research: Enabling the reprocessing of old data with new standards, constraints, and techniques will improve critical mineral mapping, isotopic analyses, and resource assessments.

  • Enhanced Cross-Agency Collaboration: Creating a data repository aims to bridge the translation gap between research and applications into policy and practice through the CoC of geochemical datasets.

Who will benefit

Several communities will benefit from this project, including:

  • Geoscience Community: From geochemical researchers needing access to raw analytical datasets to agencies that work in resource exploration to hazard assessments.

  • Industry Partners: Reprocessing old datasets can improve exploration and environmental monitoring.

  • International Collaborators: integration of datasets under FAIR and CARE principles via OneGeochemistry will allow international partners to access datasets for interdisciplinary research and collaborations.

Access

The PODs repository will be built within the AuScope Data Repository, leveraging:

  • AuScope Data Repository (ADR) 

  • AuScope Sample Repository (ASR)

  • AuScope EarthBank Platform (AEP)

  • Persistent Identifiers (DOI, PIID, RAiD)

More information will be provided once the project team has developed a formal access and governance model in consultation with universities, laboratories, and government agencies.

 
 

Project Name
Seeds of Science

Project Lead

Timeframe
Jan 2026 to Jun 2027

Status
Active

Funding
Pilot 5

Host
Curtin University

Other Collaborators
CSIRO

AuScope Programs

Acknowledging AuScope

This project was made possible by support from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) through AuScope. Acknowledging AuScope and NCRIS helps us demonstrate the value of shared research infrastructure, ensuring continued support and resources for the research community.

If you helped deliver this project or have benefited from its outputs, please credit AuScope so we can include your work in our impact reporting. For examples of acknowledgment, please visit our ‘Acknowledge AuScope’ page.

We’d love to see your work—please tag us on social media using:

@auscope | #AuScopeImpact | #NCRISimpact

ECEDaniel VlahekPilot 5, NCRIS, Active, Geochemical Data Repository, AuScope EarthBank PODs, FAIR Geochemistry Data, Chain-of-Custody, Primary Observable Datasets