Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Report Card of Achievements 2018

This is an annual report card focussed on the achievements made in 2018 against the three-year Action Plan for Road Map 3. NHMRC continues to work with PCIC on all the actions in the NHMRC's Road Map 3 Action Plan 2018-21 Triennium

NHMRC is committed to a 5% spend or more of the Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA) on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES was the top field of research in Indigenous health research funding with $32,074,442 spent

244

Indigenous health active* research grants

$50,225,345

spent on Indigenous health research

5.8%

funding of the MREA for Indigenous health research
*All grants being paid in 2018

Two Targeted Calls for Research were opened to stimulate or greatly advance research in priority areas for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health:

In 2018, major documents were updated to ensure the research sector is current with best practice in ethics and NHMRC's strategy for Indigenous health:

 

PCIC is appointed on a triennial basis and provides advice and works with to the NHMRC Council and CEO on issues relating to guide and direct Indigenous health research. Professor Sandra Eades is chair of PCIC and also a member of the NHMRC Council.

NHMRC is committed to building and strengthening capacity of Indigenous researchers. In 2018:

36 NHMRC active* grants were led by Indigenous researchers
209 Indigenous researchers on active* grants were funded by NHMRC
Dr Lisa Whop was awarded NHMRC’s Rising Star Research Excellence Award—recognising top-ranked Indigenous researchers in the Early Career Fellowship scheme
*All grants being paid in 2018

NHMRC held two capacity building workshops with the Indigenous research and institutional communities to inform future activities and the development of a national network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers:

  • Strengthening capacity and capability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers
  • National Network Workshop

To showcase the diverse pathways into research, 12 Indigenous researchers were profiled and featured on the NHMRC News Centre website.

NHMRC has a renewed Tripartite agreement in international Indigenous health with Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC).

NHMRC is committed to Reconciliation and our  Reconciliation Action Plan sets out the actions to foster respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to:

  • build mutually beneficial relationships with communities
  • foster and strengthen the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical researchers
  • support the employment of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders in our agency.