Indigenous Research Exchange Grants Announced

Media release - Minister Wyatt

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, has announced funding of around $2 million to twelve recipients, under the Indigenous Research Exchange initiative.

Minister Wyatt said the funding would provide for Indigenous-led projects that are a priority for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

“These projects are a positive step toward our Closing the Gap objectives. While acknowledging that a lot more needs to be achieved to overcome disadvantage, we also must celebrate the capacity of Indigenous organisations to undertake innovative projects in their communities. I commend these projects from the Indigenous Research Exchange and look forward to the outcomes,” Minister Wyatt said.

Chief Executive Officer of AIATSIS, Craig Ritchie said the funding would support a wide range of projects, nationally.

“These research grants will see the community deliver a wide range of activities that will improve the availability of quality, robust research and evidence based solutions and will have relevance and impact beyond the community and project.”

The funded projects range from documenting traditional law systems, Aboriginal researchers engaging with local knowledge keepers and building on cultural forms of governance, and collating a collection of stories from Aboriginal women who are incarcerated or at risk.

“AIATSIS looks forward to working with the grant recipients to deliver on these projects. The Indigenous Research Exchange is a partnership with government, and the community.” Mr Ritchie said.

“AIATSIS is pleased to manage the Indigenous Research Exchange and we celebrate the many high quality applications for projects. The strength of Indigenous communities and organisations has been shown through the terrific projects funded through this initial round. The range and depth of the research projects will make a significant contribution to the evidence base for the development of public policies that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

The Indigenous Research Exchange was established to identify and fund research priorities for and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. Round 2 for funding will open in August 2020.

Projects include:

• South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council: Walyalup Fremantle Cross-Cultural Mapping. This project develops knowledge about Noongar cultural forms of governance of development and aims to co-design a culturally legitimate model of Noongar governance for the implementation of the Settlement, to support a Noongar-determined development agenda.
• The ABC Foundation’s Aboriginal Women’s Research Assistant and Evaluation Training Project.  This project is a social enterprise assisting Indigenous women in remote communities (pilot: Carnarvon and Derby/Broome) to be on-country evaluators. The culturally secure venture-led by Clear Horizon with NintiOne - includes mentoring and employment. AWARE aims for a national footprint.
• Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council’s Environmental Stewardship Resurgence in Walbanga (Yuin Nation) Land and Sea Country. This collaborative action-research initiative aims at developing a toolkit for Mogo and Batemans Bay Aboriginal Land Council's rangers to increase their surveying and analysis skills to grow their influence environmental management decisions across their Country.

Further details on the successful grant recipients can be found at: https://aiatsis.gov.au/exchange