Emeritus Professor Joe Shapter received his PhD from the University of Toronto in 1990. He subsequently held a NSERC Fellowship at The University of Western Ontario before moving to Australia in 1996 to take up a position at Flinders University. Joe served as Dean of the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, heading the Flinders involvement in both Microscopy Australia and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF). He was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) at the University of Queensland from 2018 to 2022. He served on the boards of several NCRIS facilities and is now a member of the National Research Instructure Advisory Group.
Directors
Emeritus Professor Joe Shapter
Chair and Director
Adjunct Professor Sach Jayasinghe
FATEM FQA GAICD, Executive Director and Company Secretary
Sach Jayasinghe is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF). QCIF provides digital research infrastructure to all Queensland universities and several national clients.
Concurrently Sach has two adjunct academic appointments. In his capacity as Adjunct Professor (Research Infrastructure) for the University of Queensland, he works with partners to uplift the State’s research infrastructure and leverage technology capabilities in establishing new industries such as synthetic biology, clean energy and quantum technologies. As Associate (Research Infrastructure) of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), he looks to collaborate on major national programs such as the Australian Research Data Common’s Planet Research Data Commons.
Previously, Sach was the Director, Research Infrastructure, providing strategic input and overseeing the operations of QUT’s research infrastructure portfolio. Preceding QUT, Sach had several roles at the University of Melbourne. As Director of Research Strategy, on behalf of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), he oversaw the University’s strategic investments in research and innovation and leaves a legacy as the principal architect of the Melbourne Collaborative Research Infrastructure Program.
Professor Ute Roessner
AM FAA, Director
Professor Roessner AM FAA is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Initiatives and Infrastructure) and supports cross-university strategic research initiatives and university-scale research infrastructure. In particular, the team provides strategic support and advice to the University’s NCRIS (National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy) investments and coordinates a portfolio of strategic initiatives, each working to address society's most challenging issues.
Professor Roessner AM FAA has a PhD in Plant Biochemistry from the University of Potsdam and the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology. She established a metabolomics platform as part of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics and was instrumental in the setup of Metabolomics Australia and led the University of Melbourne node.
Prior to joining the ANU in 2022, Professor Roessner AM FAA was the Head of School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne. She is a Lifetime Honorary Fellow of the International Metabolomics Society, has been elected to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, been appointed as Member of the Order of Australia, and in 2022 was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
Dr Sarah Flaim
Director
Dr. Sarah Flaim brings over 15 years of experience in the higher education sector, combining expertise in research, operations, clinical trials, and stakeholder engagement. As National Imaging Facility's Chief Operating Officer, she leverages her diverse skill set to enhance the organisation’s strategic direction and success.
Sarah is passionate about values-based leadership of high-performing teams, mentoring staff, and cultivating a positive workplace culture. She excels in enabling large-scale collaborative endeavours and devising pragmatic solutions to operational challenges, maximising opportunities while minimising risk.
Prior to joining NIF, Sarah held several specialist research management roles within the higher education sector, spanning all phases of the research project lifecycle. Prior to moving to Australia in 2009, Sarah was a postdoctoral Junior Research Fellow at Balliol College, University of Oxford, where she conducted interdisciplinary research in computational biology, focusing on the electrophysiology of the mammalian heart. She obtained her PhD from the University of California, San Diego as a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.
Latest News
 "Next NCRIS Roadmap")
17 January 2025
The Commonwealth Department of Education has released the 2026 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap development process outline....
 "ACRI joins STA")
7 January 2025
Consistent with ACRI's mission of advocacy for the research infrastructure community, it has joined Science & Technology Australia. STA has been a long-standing and trusted voice that ...
 "New ACRI Director")
7 January 2025
ACRI is thrilled to welcome Dr Sarah Flaim as a new director. Sarah brings over 15 years of experience in the higher education sector, combining expertise in research, operations, clinica...
