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The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the primary source of funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) health research in Australia; it has awarded more than $320 million to Indigenous health research projects since 2015.

The NHMRC guidelines for Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, published in 2018, recommend a range of actions for advancing Indigenous governance and participation in research, including empowering Indigenous leadership, employing Indigenous staff, nurturing community partnerships, and establishing Indigenous health research ethics committees. The guidelines, however, are not mandatory, and the extent to which Australian research organisations have implemented them varies.

Indigenous health research in Australia is largely informed by non‐Indigenous world views, led by non‐Indigenous people, and undertaken in non‐Indigenous organisations. Re‐orientation and investment are needed to give control of the framing, design, and conduct of Indigenous health research to Indigenous people.

This MJA research shares more.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain key components of the research
2. List main findings
3. Recognise the significance of the research.

Details

Authors: Luke J Burchill, Aneta Kotevski, Daniel LM Duke, Jeanette E Ward, Megan Prictor, Karen E Lamb and Michelle Kennedy

Article Type: Research