Building Indigenous research capacity

The new National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) has received $3.2 million over four years through the ARC’s Special Research Initiatives scheme.

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) will lead NIRAKN together with nine collaborating institutions across the country, the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and five partner organisations.

The network was opened by Australian Research Council CEO Professor Aidan Byrne, who said the aim of the network is to create pathways for Indigenous researchers from undergraduate to postgraduate studies and establish a pipeline of new researchers across institutions, disciplines and research areas of importance.

“The initiative is aimed at creating a national collaborative network - harnessing the leadership of skilled and experienced university-based Indigenous researchers with strong track records who will build a research program to mentor those in their early careers, to improve their chances of staying on, filling research positions and pursuing successful research careers,” Professor Byrne said.

The new network will be led by Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson from QUT and will have an interconnected national presence, administered from a central hub based at QUT, with ‘spokes’ of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers located throughout Australia.

Each ‘spoke’ will focus on one of four research programs: Indigenous Sociology and Knowledges, Indigenous Law, Indigenous Health, and Yuraki - History, Politics and Culture.

The nine collaborating Australian universities involved in the network are Central Queensland University, Charles Darwin University, the Australian National University, University of Newcastle, University of Western Australia, University of Tasmania, University of Technology, Sydney, University of Melbourne and University of Wollongong.

Five partner organisations - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation, National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Ninti One Limited, South Coast Women’s Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, and the United Nations University - have committed a further $2.1 million in cash and $3.4 million in kind towards the new network.

More information is available on the ARC’s Special Research Initiative for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researchers’ Network.