OCHRe News 2025
5 December
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:
Congratulations
Dr Bridie Mulholland, Assistant Professor, First Nations Health in our Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine!
🏆 Bridie was awarded the First Nations STEM Award in the 2025 Queensland Women in STEM Prize, one of just three prizes recognised at the awards. The Queensland Women in STEM Prize recognises and rewards the extraordinary women who exemplify innovation, leadership, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge and discovery.
Dr Bridie Mulholland is a proud Jingili woman, cellular bone and cancer biologist, and Assistant Professor at Bond University, leading transformative reforms to embed First Nations perspectives into health sciences and medicine.
Cancer Australia
Key programs – Improving cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Achieving equity in cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a strategic objective of the Australian Cancer Plan and a priority for Cancer Australia.
Cancer Australia is leading activities to progress actions in the Australian Cancer Plan to improve equity and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
On 2 May 2023, the Hon Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care announced $238.5 million in funding through the Improving First Nations Cancer Outcomes budget measure to help deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Funding provided to Cancer Australia through this measure is targeted at ensuring mainstream cancer care services are culturally safe and accessible, and building the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research sector ($38.6 million).
NOW OPEN: 2025 Partnerships for culturally safe cancer care grant program
Cancer Australia established the Partnerships for culturally safe cancer care grant program to facilitate innovative, community-informed improvements to the delivery of cancer care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
Addressing long-standing equity and cultural safety issues within mainstream health services where specialist cancer care is delivered is crucial to ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access and complete high quality treatment and experience better outcomes.
Nearly $18 million is available over 2024-25 to 2026-27 through the program to close the gap in cancer outcomes and experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Applications are now open for the 2025 grant round.
Grants of up to $700,000 over two years are available to mainstream cancer services in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to embed culturally safe, accessible, and responsive care across the cancer sector.
Applications are open until 3 February 2026. For grant guidelines and further information visit GrantConnect – GO8081.
For enquiries email FirstNationsGrants@canceraustralia.gov.au
A list of successful recipients of the 2024 grant round is available here. Recipients include 15 health services in partnerships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.
First Nations Cancer Scholarships
Cancer Australia, in partnership with the Aurora Education Foundation, has established the First Nations Cancer Scholarship program. The scholarship supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, health professionals, and early-career researchers to compete full-time postgraduate study or research in a cancer-related field.
The aim is to grow the network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who drive improvements in cancer control, including through research, creating change for communities.
The scholarship will see Indigenous scholars receive up to $120,000 per year over three years, as well as academic, wellbeing and community support. Scholarships will be awarded each year from 2024 – 2027.
Successful recipients of the 2024 round have been announced, with five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander post graduate students from around Australia awarded a scholarship to continue their studies in important cancer-related fields.
The second round of scholarships is now open. For more information on how to apply, visit www.firstnationscancerscholarship.com
For further information on these opportunities, click here
Opportunities
Click here to view all vacancies and opportunities
Menzies School of Health Research
PhD Opportunity researching the implementation of screening for rheumatic heart disease
The NEARER ECHO team at Menzies School of Health Research are looking for a prospective PhD student, to join the team from 2026. The PhD will offer opportunities for involvement in various aspects of a mixed methods evaluation of implementation of task-sharing echocardiography for rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in remote primary healthcare settings across Australia and Timor-Leste. The student will learn skills in implementation science research, with areas of focus which could include:
Developmental evaluation of implementation strategies, working with communities; implementation science methodologies; diagnostic accuracy studies, and/or health economic evaluations. The student will lead on relevant aspects of implementation evaluation, with supervision and support from an experienced team who are committed to working effectively with and listening to communities that are affected by RHD, and developing strategies for RHD detection and follow-up that can be sustainably implemented at scale. Interested candidates should be willing to travel to remote communities, have excellent listening and communication skills, and some background experience in health research. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Timorese citizens are strongly encouraged to consider submitting an expression of interest. The successful candidate will be supported by the team to apply for relevant scholarship opportunities. The PhD will be full-time, commencing 2026 with anticipated completion in 2030.
Expressions of interest should be up to 500 words, and should address: your reasons for interest in research on rheumatic heart disease, and First Nations and/or global health; your previous experience in implementation science and other health research fields; and your approaches to working within a team and engaging with remote communities. Submit your EOl along with a brief curriculum vitae to meghan.bailey@menzies.edu.au by 19th December 2025.
For more information, reach out to josh.francis@menzies.edu.au/
2024–25 NHMRC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Report Card of Achievements
This report card details 2024-25 achievements against the 2021-2024 Action Plan for Road Map 3: A strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research.
NHMRC works closely with Indigenous Advisory Group to progress all 18 actions in the Action Plan.
217 Active grants* in Indigenous health
$78,450,983 Spent on Indigenous health research
8.3% of the MREA spent on Indigenous health
NHMRC is committed to building and strengthening capacity of Indigenous researchers. In 2024-25:
4.4% of grants awarded in 24/25 were led by ClAs who identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent
95 Active NHMRC grants* were led by indigenous researchers
218 Indigenous researchers on active grants funded by NHMRC•
*All grants being paid in 2024-25 financial year
Scholarships & Bursaries:
www.ochrenetwork.org/opportunities
AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship
Encouraging and supporting First Nations people
Australian Medical Association - AMA
Indigenous Medical Scholarship The AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship is available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students who demonstrate a commitment to their community and to medicine, and who may not have the financial means to realise their dream.
NOl to RO 22 Dec 2025
Internal Deadline 16 Jan 2026
External Deadline 30 Jan 2026
Webinars, Workshops and
Professional Development
National Research Infrastructure
Episode 2026 NRI Roadmap Issues Paper
Following analysis of feedback gathered in response to this Issues Paper, outcomes of other government reviews such as the Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD), matters drawn from the Survey and other discussions and consultations, an Exposure Draft Roadmap will be released for public consultation. That document is expected to provide a preliminary view of the final 2026 NRI Roadmap.
Professor Pat Dudgeon’s Groundbreaking Life and Work on Social Emotional Wellbeing
New Podcast Episode!
Join one of Australia’s foremost voices in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental-health reform, Professor Pat Dudgeon AM, as she takes us on a compelling journey to rethink and revive psychology from the ground up. In this episode you’ll discover the roots of her mission, the power of holistic wellbeing, and how she’s helping reshape psychology education through the lens of culture, community, and connection. An important conversation—gain fresh insight into health, healing, and change.
Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing (TIMHWB) project
Research Forum
Here at the School of Indigenous Studies, at the University of Western Australia, we’re celebrating the completion of the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing (TIMHWB) project, which has been running since 2019. With Indigenous leadership from Professors Pat Dudgeon AM, Helen Milroy AM, and Jill Milroy, the TIMHWB project brought cultural ways and healing into mental health and wellbeing systems to better serve the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. Project partners have represented a collaborative of Aboriginal leaders and organisations, dedicated to creating long-term impact, and together we’ve conducted groundbreaking research, translation, and evaluation in the fields of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention.
To commemorate the important work done over the last six years, we’re hosting a Research Forum on beautiful Whadjuk Noongar land along the Derbal Yerrigan river in Boorloo (Perth). The Forum will be a day of talks, workshops, and collaboration, as well as a ‘look forward’ to the future as we share our plans to launch our new identity as the Kwop Boorn Djenara Centre. The roots of the Boorn Centre are the TIMHWB project and the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention - two Aboriginal-led, transformative projects which we will join and evolve together into the Boorn Centre, where we will continue our work alongside community collaborators including the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia.
We’ll be recording all the presentations and workshops at the Research Forum event and will make sure to share the resulting video with all those who are interested. Exciting things ahead!
Lowitja Institute
Journal Webinars
On 3 December, Dr Joanne Luke will present research from her PhD studies which explored how 'evidence' is generated and used in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social settings, which was conducted in collaboration with Aboriginal organisations. An Aboriginal researcher, Dr Luke works with the Centre for Health Policy at the University of Melbourne, and the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency.
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 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
CONFERENCES 2027
Lowitja Conference | Larrakia Country | 8-10 June 2027
Save the date | 8-10 June 2027
Subscribe for conference news updates | lowitjaconference.org.au
2027 will mark 30 years since the Lowitja Institute began in Darwin as the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, so it will be a very special homecoming.
Although this event is not for 18 months, we know an early ‘save the date’ announcement assists attendees with planning bookings and organising attendance. After a record-breaking 1,370 delegates at the 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference on Kaurna Country in June 2025, we’re expecting even more registrations for the Darwin Convention Centre event, scheduled from 8-10 June 2027.
2027 will mark 30 years since the Lowitja Institute began in Darwin as the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, so it will be a very special homecoming.
Although this event is not for 18 months, we know an early ‘save the date’ announcement assists attendees with planning bookings and organising attendance. After a record-breaking 1,370 delegates at the 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference on Kaurna Country in June 2025, we’re expecting even more registrations for the Darwin Convention Centre event, scheduled from 8-10 June 2027.
We look forward to you joining us in the Northern Territory for an unforgettable week of knowledge-sharing, culture, and insights.
For more details and Lowitja Conference announcements, keep an eye on lowitjaconference.org.au.
Funding Opportunities
Welcome Genomics in Context Awards
Collaborative research at the intersection of genomics, humanities,
social sciences, and bioethics
These awards will support transdisciplinary teams to catalyse research discoveries at the intersection of genomics, humanities, social sciences and bioethics. Funded projects will be given the time and resources to create new research agendas and explore innovative ways of working.
Closes: 16 March 2026
For further 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.
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
MRFF - EPCDRI – 2025 Childhood Mental Health Research Grant Opportunity
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research initiative aims to enable or support research that improves patient care and translation of new discoveries, and encourage collaboration between consumers and researchers. Funding from this Initiative will support the development of new diagnoses, treatments and cures, and the translation of new discoveries into clinical practice.
Grant Activity Timeframe: Within 5 years of execution of the grant schedule.
Total Amount Available (AUD): $20,000,000.00
Estimated Grant Value (AUD): From $0.00 to $5,000,000.00
Minimum Data Closes: 25-Feb-2026 5:00 pm (ACT Local Time)
Close Date & Time: 25-Mar-2026 5:00 pm (ACT Local Time)
For further information, click here
MRFF – CTA Initiative – 2025
Clinical Trials Activity Grant
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Clinical Trials Activity Initiative aims to:
improve the evidence base supporting clinical care
help patients access trials relevant to their health circumstances
enable researchers to bring international trials to Australian patients.
Grant Activity Timeframe: Within 7 years of execution of the grant schedule.
Total Amount Available (AUD): $61,000,000.00
Estimated Grant Value (AUD): From $0.00 to $5,000,000.00
Minimum Data Closes: 04-March-2026 5:00 pm (ACT Local Time)
Close Date & Time: 1-Apr-2026 5:00 pm (ACT Local Time)
For further information, 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.
Employment
Austin Health
First Nations Public Health Engagement Officer
Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.
About the Ngarra Jarra Aboriginal Health Unit
Ngarra Jarra, which means healing, supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their families and carers while they are in their care through culture support, advocacy, liaison and discharge planning. Our small but dedicated teamwork in partnership with multidisciplinary teams across the hospital who are committed to providing culturally safe, patient-centred care for mob.
About the role
This role is a casual role and is for leave replacement only. As the Casual Aboriginal Health Liaison Officer, you will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their families and carers in accessing care, as well as during their time in hospital.
Closing: Wednesday 31 December 2025
For further information and to view position description, click here
