OCHRe News 2025
17 October
Dear OCHRe Members and Friends
We wish you a safe and happy weekend. If you have news you would like to share, please send it through to the team at ochre@uq.edu.au by Wednesday 2pm AEST.
OCHRe Central Hub www.ochrenetwork.org
News:
OCHRe 2025 Convocation is THIS WEEK!
FEATURING:
Prof. Papaarangi Reid – Tumuaki - Deputy Dean Māori, Head of Department,
University of Auckland Te Kupenga Hauora Māori– Specialist in public health medicine, focused on health equity for Māori and other Indigenous People.
Emma Rawson-Te Patu - President-Elect, World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) – First Indigenous women to hold this role and is developing a global public health framework based on Indigenous knowledge and rights.
Prof. Ngiare Brown BMed, MPHTM, FRACGP – Chancellor JCU - First female and first Indigenous Chancellor of James Cook University with a strong commitment to Indigenous health, child safety, and youth development.
Dr. Jackie Huggins AM FAHA – Director, Indigenous Research, The University of Queensland – A leading First Nations scholar, acclaimed historian, and author dedicated to reconciliation.Opportunities
NHMRC Indigenous Virtual Internship Program
NHMRC offer opportunities for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a health or medical research or science related field to take up a virtual Internship in the agency.
Applications for the 2025–2026 Indigenous Virtual Internship Program are now open and close Sunday 2 November 2025 at 11:30 pm AEDT.
The internship is available Australia wide as remote work, however candidates based in Canberra or Melbourne will have the option to work from the NHMRC office.
As an intern, you will:
Engage directly with government processes involved in funding health and medical research
Contribute to developing guidelines and addressing ethical challenges
Explore how knowledge is shared and promoted across communities
Gain a deeper understanding of public administration and accountability in action.
NHMRC are offering a limited number of flexible virtual internships, each requiring 200 hours or more, tailored in collaboration with your supervisor to fit your schedule and goals. Jumpstart your career and make an impact with NHMRC.
To find out more please see the job description available on the NHMRC Careers portal.
Expressions of Interest for membership of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB)
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is now accepting applications from highly qualified candidates for appointment to the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB), with opportunities available for both Member and Deputy Chair positions. The AMRAB was established under the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015 to advise the Minister for Health and Ageing (the Health Minister) expenditure from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). The AMRAB comprises the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and up to seven additional members.
The functions of the AMRAB are:
to determine the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy (the Strategy) and the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities (the Priorities); and
to advise the Health Minister about other matters that the Health Minister refers to the Advisory Board.
Current AMRAB members and their expertise can be found here.
For further information, contact: AMRABsecretariat@Health.gov.au
Closes: 9 November 2025
OCHRe Scholarships:
Maali Hub | Current Offers
Indigenous Early / Mid Career Researchers | Health Research Related Support Fund Item
The Maali Hub Indigenous EMCR Health Research Related Support Fund is available to support Early to Mid-Career Researchers with project costs, health research related training, international and national conferences.
This is a continuous Open Round which opened on 1 March 2025 and closes on 30 November 2025.
Research support funding offered includes:
· $10,000 Research support costs
· $5,000 Training
· $5,000 International conference attendance
· $2,500 National conference attendance
Please submit your application to maalihub@ecu.edu.au.
Scholarships & Bursaries:
www.ochrenetwork.org/opportunities
Auora Internship Program | Paid internships that build your career and your impact
Are you a First Nations university student or graduate looking to take the next step in your career?
The Aurora Internship Program offers paid placements with purpose – giving you the chance to gain experience, grow your confidence, and contribute to work that matters.
Interns are placed in organisations working to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. From grassroots nonprofits to research institutes, government, and the private sector. You don’t need to have it all figured out, just bring your curiosity, commitment, and lived experience.
Closes: 31 December 2025
APPLY NOW OR LEARN MORE AT: aurorafoundation.com.au
Scan the QR code for full program details and how to apply.
(And if you’re unsure or have questions, the Aurora team is here to help.)
Webinars, Workshops and
Professional Development
Health Translation Queensland | Resource
Indigenous Data – Clause Templates and Guidance
This new HTQ resource, developed by Terri Janke and Company, provides clear and practical template clauses covering intellectual property, property, moral rights, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP),and Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov). The document is designed to support research teams to embed best-practice legal, cultural, and ethical standards into their agreements.
For further information, click here
Indigenous Futures Conference
4 – 7 November 2025 | Kabi Kabi Country
Indigenous futures unbound: Reimagining Indigenous futures through knowledge and praxis
Novotel Sunshine Coast Region
This conference is a call-to-action.
We ask:
How can we protect the earth, our human kin, and our non-human relatives for the future?
What can our Indigenous futures look like?
How can we future proof our nations? and
What will being Indigenous mean in the future?
Keynote speaker | Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson
Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson is a Goenpul woman of the Quandamooka people (Moreton Bay). She is a leading scholar in the field of Critical Indigenous Studies covering areas such as Indigenous Sovereignty, Law, Gender, Race and Power.
She is Australia’s first Indigenous Distinguished Professor. Professor Moreton-Robinson’s numerous publications have international standing and global reach. She is an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow Australian Academy of the Social Sciences, and a Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Moreton-Robinson is a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Council. She was formerly the Director of the Australian Research Council’s National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) and President Elect of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA).
Keynote speaker | Professor Audra Simpson is a Kahnawà:ke Mohawk scholar
Professor Audra Simpson is a Kahnawà:ke Mohawk scholar and researches and writes about Indigenous and settler society, politics and history at Columbia University.
Her book, Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States (2014, DUP) won the Sharon Stephens Prize (AES), the “Best first Book Award” (NAISA) as well as the Lora Romero Award (ASA) in addition to honorable mentions.
For further information, click here.
Lowitja Institute
Online Courses
These online courses were developed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers. They’re also highly valuable for non-Indigenous people working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and research sectors.
The following online courses are available:
Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Introduction to Ethics in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research
Community data literacy: Foundations
Introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research
Introduction to Indigenous Knowledge Translation
Introduction to Evaluation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Contexts
For more information and to apply click here.
University of Sydney | Central Sydney (Patyegarang) Precinct
Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion
Designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, our Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion aims to improve Indigenous health at a community level. This program will give you the knowledge and skills to identify community needs, develop a plan of action and execute it.
Our program is for Indigenous health practitioners who already have a role in promoting the health of their communities or hold equivalent qualifications. It is designed to give practitioners skills they need to help prevent illness and reduce the harms in the community.
For more information and to apply click here.
ALIGN (Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics)
Launched ALIGN’s Online Course - Genomics Our Way | An Introduction to Genomics Research with Indigenous Australians
ALIGN were able to develop and deliver this first-of-its-kind course through the ALIGN network, the OCHRE network, with financial support from the Australian Academy of Science–Theo Murphy Initiative (AAS-TMI).
What’s next?
Register now and take the course! https://indigenousgenomics.com.au/courses/genomicsourway/
Please share it with your colleagues, networks, and communities.
Follow the new ALIGN LinkedIn business page and help us amplify the campaign.
Tell us what you think - we’d love your feedback and reflections once you’ve completed the course.
‘Genomics Our Way’ is more than a course—it’s a statement about how genomics research with Indigenous Australians should be done.
Queensland Health and the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Launch of a new Queensland Portal
This portal provides health information and resources to support anyone working or studying in First Nations health in Queensland, including students, academics and policy makers.
Funded by the Queensland Government Department of Health, the new Portal includes a map that allows users to filter content by Queensland’s Hospital and Health Services for a faster, more efficient search for relevant publications, resources, programs, organisations, courses and jobs. The Portal also supports the workforce with information on Queensland-specific events and funding opportunities.
The Portal is located on the HealthInfoNet website under the Learn tab and under the Locations subheading. Visit the Queensland Portal to access up-to-date information and culturally appropriate resources on First Nations health in Queensland.
You can also stay connected with the latest updates and content added to the Portal by signing up to the monthly Queensland State Newsletter and by subscribing to our yarning places: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
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CONFERENCES 2025
OCHRe Convocation
29 – 30 October | (Meanjin) Brisbane
Voices of Country: Research, Resilience and Renewal
REGISTRATIONS NOW CLOSED
Indigenous Allied Health Australia
24 – 26 November | Sunshine Coast
Tradition to Transformation: Leading in Allied Health
For more information and to register, click here.
Australian Indigenous Doctors Association
Indigenous Futures Unbound:
Reminagining Indigenous futures through knowledge and praxis
4 -7 November | Kabi Kabi Country
This conference is a call-to-action.
We ask:
How can we protect the earth, our human kin, and our non-human relatives for the future?
What can our Indigenous futures look like?
How can we future proof our nations? and
What will being Indigenous mean in the future?
For more information, click AIDA 2025 Conference
Keynote speaker | Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson
Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson is a Goenpul woman of the Quandamooka people (Moreton Bay). She is a leading scholar in the field of Critical Indigenous Studies covering areas such as Indigenous Sovereignty, Law, Gender, Race and Power.
She is Australia’s first Indigenous Distinguished Professor. Professor Moreton-Robinson’s numerous publications have international standing and global reach. She is an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow Australian Academy of the Social Sciences, and a Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Moreton-Robinson is a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Council. She was formerly the Director of the Australian Research Council’s National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) and President Elect of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA)
Keynote speaker | Professor Rauna Kuokkanen
Professor Rauna Kuokkanen is a researcher in Arctic Indigenous Politics at the University of Lapland (Finland) and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto.
She researches comparative Indigenous politics and law, Indigenous feminism and gender, Arctic governance, and settler colonialism in the Nordic countries.
Her Sámi name is Jovnna Jon Anne Kirstte Rávdná or Fierranjot Kirstte Rávdná. She’s from the Deatnu River, Ohcejohka/Utsjoki.
Keynote speaker | Professor Brendan Hokowhitu
Professor Brendan Hokowhitu is globally recognised as a leading scholar in critical Indigenous studies, creating the sub-disciplines of Indigenous masculinities, Indigenous sociology of sport, and Indigenous critical physical education. He is the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures.
Brendan’s diverse disciplinary background has led him to becoming a thought leader in multiple areas where his theoretical work has advanced Indigenous film and media, Indigenous healthism, and Indigenous critical theory. His tiwi (tribe) is Ngāti Pūkenga.
Keynote speaker | Professor Audra Simpson is a Kahnawà:ke Mohawk scholar
Professor Audra Simpson is a Kahnawà:ke Mohawk scholar and researches and writes about Indigenous and settler society, politics and history at Columbia University.
Her book, Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States (2014, DUP) won the Sharon Stephens Prize (AES), the “Best first Book Award” (NAISA) as well as the Lora Romero Award (ASA) in addition to honorable mentions.
For further information, click here.
CONFERENCES 2026
World Indigenous Cancer Conference | 20-24 April 2026 | Rotorua, Aotearoa, New Zealand
For more information, click here
18th World Congress on Public Health
6 - 9 September 2026 | South Africa
Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability
For more information, click here
GRANT CONNECT
All Australian Government grant opportunities are advertised on Grant Connect including NHMRC, MRFF, ARC and many other grants. Below are some current opportunities.
For current list of all grants on Grant Connect click here.
MRFF 2022 Frontier Health and Medical Research Grant Opportunity
This grant opportunity offers funding to support medical research and medical innovation programs of research that deliver a ‘moonshot’ by creating a treatment for a currently serious and incurable health condition, through a series of linked projects. The program of research can propose to develop novel health technologies and/or re-purpose existing health technologies in a novel way.
We expect that expressions of interest will close on 31 March 2026, with the last grants awarded by 30 June 2027.
Total Amount Available (AUD): $400,000,000
Estimated Grant Value (AUD): $25,000,000
For further information, click here.
MRFF – Preventive and Public Health Research Initiative – 2025 Maternal Health and Healthy Lifestyles Grant Opportunity
Stream 1 (TCR): develop, implement and/or evaluate interventions to prevent or manage perinatal mental ill-health
Stream 2 (TCR): develop, implement and/or evaluate holistic approaches that support healthy development for children aged 2-5 years
Stream 3 (TCR): develop, implement and/or evaluate new co-designed and scalable health and wellbeing promotion and/or preventive health approaches to address modifiable risk factors in:
Minimum Data | Closes 19/11/2025 5:00pm ACT Time
Application closes | 03/12/2025 5:00pm ACT Time
For further information, click here.
MRFF - Australian Brain Cancer Mission – 2025 Brain Cancer Research Grant Opportunity
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that develop novel approaches to reduce treatment toxicity and adverse effects of brain cancer treatment for patients, to minimise the short- and/or long-term negative impacts for patients and carers.
Minimum data closes | 21/01/2026 5:00pm ACT Time
Application closes | 04/02/2026 5:00pm ACT Time
For further information, click here.
MRFF – Genomics Health Futures Mission – 2025 Genomics Health Futures Grant Opportunity
Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): develop and implement pharmacogenomic approaches to identify new medicines and enhance medication efficacy.
Funding under Stream 1 is available as follows:
Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): conduct genomics research to optimise the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of high-priority and high-burden diseases among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Minimum data closes | 21/01/2026 5:00pm ACT Time
Application closes | 04/02/2026 5:00pm ACT Time
For further information, click here.
National Health and Medical Research Council
NEW: Targeted Call for Research: Homelessness and Health 2025
The TCR: Homelessness and Health 2025 grant opportunity seeks to investigate the short and long-term adverse health outcomes experienced by individuals living in unstable housing conditions. The insights gained from this research will inform the development
and implementation of comprehensive interventions aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities among people experiencing homelessness in Australia.
Minimum data closes | 03/12/2025 5:00pm ACT Time
Application closes | 17/12/2025 5:00pm ACT Time
For further information, click here.
National Health and Medical Research Council
Partnership Projects – 2025
Partnership Projects will support collaborations, within the Australian context, that translate research evidence into health policy and health practice, to improve health services and processes
Minimum data closes at 17:00 ACT local time on the following dates:
PRC3 – 12 November 2025
For further information, click here.
2025 NHMRC-Global Alliance Chronic Diseases:
Strengthening Health Systems
Total Grant Pool (AUD) | $5,000,000
Application closes | 5:00 pm (ACT Local Time) on 28 October 2025
For further information, click here.
ALIGN (Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics) & The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI)
Indigenous Visiting Research Fellowship
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and The Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN) have collaborated to offer an excellent opportunity for an Indigenous Visiting Research Fellow. This opportunity will support an Indigenous researcher using advanced genomics to improve diagnostic outcomes for people with suspected genetic immune disease. Flexible funding of up to $300,000 over two years is available.
Fellows can range from PhD students who have completed their confirmation of candidature, through to post-graduate, mid-career researchers. Clinicians with an interest in research are also welcome to apply.
Applications for this program opened May 2025 and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so you may apply at any time.
Applications close: October 2025
For further information, view the website here OR scan the QR code
Employment
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA
BROOME CAMPUS Shape the future of healthcare education
in the Kimberley. The University of Notre Dame Australia is expanding its Vocational Education and Training (VET) program in Broome, and we're looking for passionate and dedicated professionals to join our mission of empowering the next generation of healthcare workers in regional and remote communities.
We are recruiting for the following key roles:
Program Coordinator (Nursing)
Lead the delivery and growth of our Nursing VET programs, ensuring excellence in curriculum design, compliance and student outcomes.
Trainer and Assessor (Nursing)
Bring your clinical experience and teaching passion to the classroom.
Student Support Officer
Be the friendly face and go-to person for our students.
Apply now: notredame.edu.au
Further information here
