Action Plan 2021–2024 Triennium to implement Road Map 3

Introduction

Road Map 3 is the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research. Action plans will be published each triennium, based on the strategies outlined in Road Map 3, which will set out specific commitments by NHMRC relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and researchers. This is the Action Plan for the 2021–2024 triennium. See also the Action Plan for the 2018–2021 triennium.

The Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus (PCIC) will help direct, provide advice and assist with actioning the commitments below.

Actions address all 3 focus areas of Road Map 3:

• strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research workforce
• engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• support research in high priority areas.

Annual report cards will be published to monitor performance and impacts of the Action Plan and Road Map 3.

Actions for the 2021–2024 Triennium to implement Road Map 3

NHMRC will continue to:

1. Spend 5% or more of the Medical Research Endowment Account on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research.
2. Maintain an advisory group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (the Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus) reporting to the CEO.
3. Maintain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation on Council of NHMRC and Principal Committees.
4. Actively participate in the Tripartite Agreement to improve Indigenous peoples' health, with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
5. Profile the diverse pathways into research taken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers and outcomes of research to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
6. Maintain and actively address an organisational Reconciliation Action Plan.

Over the 2021-2024 Triennium, NHMRC will:

7. Conduct up to two calls for research annually into priority areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health:
   1. The Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus will guide the process for determining the priority areas for these research calls
   2. Where these calls are Targeted Calls for Research, the application time will be increased to ensure sufficient time for community consultation.
8. Work with the National First Nations Research Network (now known as OCHRe) to further strengthen capacity and capability amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers.
9. Review the NHMRC Indigenous Research Excellence Criteria and their use, and consider other improvements that could be made to peer review of applications about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, with the advice of the Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus.
10. Introduce a new target, for the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers who are lead Chief Investigators on NHMRC grants, that is based on the capacity of the sector and can increase as capacity grows.
11. Analyse data from NHMRC applications and grants to understand how NHMRC's schemes support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and health researchers.
12. Review the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 (updated 2018) to ensure that it reflects updated guidance for research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
13. Consider how to better define and include impact from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective.
14. Consider ways to reinforce the need for health research to meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community needs, including community-initiated research.
15. Hold at least one workshop, consultation or event relating to a priority area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and/or researchers.

To monitor and evaluate progress, NHMRC will:

16. Publish a new Action Plan each triennium over the life of Road Map 3, identifying specific actions relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and researchers.
17. Publish an annual report card of achievements against the Action Plan, including reporting against key performance indicators such as:
    • Achievement of the 5% target
    • Achievement of the target for the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers who are lead Chief Investigators on NHMRC grants.
    • The number and value of grants funded each year that address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.
    • The number and value of grants funded each year that include and are led by Chief Investigators of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.
18. Evaluate Road Map 3 and the impact of the Action Plans at the end of Road Map 3's life.