The Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program at The George Institute for Global Health drives meaningful, ethical research and advocacy to transform the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples and communities. Recipient of the 2025 NHMRC Research Quality Biennial Award, Guunu-maana is committed to research quality, being led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing to generate evidence that privileges Indigenous knowledges and research quality within the field.
Over the last 10 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health research at The George Institute (TGI) has evolved from a few projects and staff to a formalised and broad reaching program that is centred in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research methodologies and practice.
Today, the Guunu-maana program continues to expand its delivery of meaningful and ethical research, transforming the health and wellbeing of First Nations peoples and communities.
In 2017, TGI recognised the urgent need for a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health program, one that wasn’t just about researching First Nations health, but was led by and for First Nations peoples.
By 2018, it was clear to us that for this program to be truly impactful, it had to be grounded in Indigenous knowledges, leadership, and capacity building. We worked together to develop a strategic plan that put these principles at its core. This wasn’t about applying Indigenous perspectives to an existing system, we needed to ensure that it was about redefining the system itself through Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.
We’re now formally established as a collective where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, students, and project staff lead research in ways that reflect our communities, values, and priorities.
By 2022, we had grown in strength, identity, and vision. To reflect this, we commissioned an artwork titled ‘Heal spirit, heal Country’ by Gumbaynggirr artist Angela Webb that embodied our purpose and journey. With that, we renamed the program Guunu-maana, Gumbaynggirr word meaning ‘heal’. Our artwork depicts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ knowledge and wisdom for more than 60,000 years. We share this through our stories with pride and purpose to ensure this is passed onto our children and the next generations. We need to harness the spirit within and around us to heal our spirit and our country.
Now, in 2025, Guunu-maana is home to more than 20 dedicated staff and students, 17 of whom are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people who are driving high-impact research, advocacy, and community partnerships. But beyond the numbers, what makes Guunu-maana special is our unwavering commitment to Indigenous health equity.
We are led by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, generating evidence that privileges Indigenous knowledges. Our research is not just about health in the clinical sense—it is about healing, empowerment, and self determination.
We maintain an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander holistic paradigm of health and healing, recognising that wellbeing is deeply connected to culture, land, community, and spirituality.
Guunu-maana is more than a research program—it is a movement, a collective, and a commitment to transforming the way research serves our people, now and for generations to come. Our research is not just about generating knowledge but about making a difference and staying grounded in the purpose behind our work. By placing Indigenous voices, knowledge, and leadership at the centre, we are building a future where research not only serves First Nations peoples but is also led by First Nations peoples.
Receiving the NHMRC Research Quality Award is a significant recognition of the work being done through the Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program. It affirms our commitment to research excellence and inspires us to continue to generate meaningful research and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.