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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 the Indigenous Advisory Group to progress all 18 actions in the Action Plan.
4.4% of grants awarded in 24/25 were led by CIAs who identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.
NHMRC is committed to spending 5% or more of the Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA) on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research.
Public health and Health services research were the top fields of research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, receiving $58,884,941.27 in funding.
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 CIAs 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
NHMRC – MRFF Indigenous Advisory Group 2024–2027
The Indigenous Advisory Group (IAG) provides strategic advice on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and health research issues.
The joint NHMRC and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) committee advises NHMRC and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB), and the CEO of the Health & Medical Research Office (HMRO).
Absent from group photo: Dr Brooke Conley, A/Professor Tuguy Esgin, Professor Maree Toombs.
Targeted Calls for Research (TCR)
The Commercial determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health 2023 grant opportunity aims to conduct innovative, ground-breaking research that recognises and adjusts for the interplay between social, cultural, economic, and commercial determinants of health and how it positively or negatively influences health outcomes.
Grants totalling
$7,260,321
Awarded to:
- Ms Carol-Lynne Christophersen, Menzies School of Health Research
- Professor Yin Paradies, Deakin University
- Associate Professor Mark Wenitong, The University of Queensland
- Professor Sandra Eades, University of Melbourne
- Professor Raymond Lovett, Australian National University.
Targeted Calls for Research (TCR) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health – Addressing Violence for Safer Families and Communities aims to address the health and wellbeing needs of families and communities to be safe through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led, and multidisciplinary approach. Applications closed in August 2025.
TCR Public Call for Research Priorities
Professor Yvette Roe, IAG Chairperson with Ms Samantha Faulkner, ONHMRC, led 2 workshops at the AIATSIS National Summit, Darwin and the Lowitja Institute – 4th International Indigenous health and wellbeing conference 2025, Adelaide. These were both well attended with much interest.
New Benefit question piloted in 2025 CRE scheme
One of the recommendations of the 2023 Indigenous Research Excellence Criteria national consultation was for all NHMRC applications to address how their research supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, with respondents noting the success of a similar question introduced by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. A new question ‘How does your application benefit Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health and contribute to Closing the Gap targets?' was piloted in the 2025 Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) round.
2024 NHMRC Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award
This year the award went to Associate Professor Yvonne Clark. She is a Kokatha/Wirangu woman from South Australia, a researcher and a PhD clinically endorsed psychologist. She co-leads the Aboriginal Communities and Families Research Alliance platform within the SAHMRI women and kids’ theme and is the Chief Investigator on multiple NHMRC grants.
Associate Professor Clark’s research seeks to improve social and emotional wellbeing and provide support pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during pregnancy, along with support to fathers, parents and young people.
This award is named to honour Professor Sandra Eades AO FAHMS FASSA, the first Indigenous medical practitioner awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy (2003), and given to the top-ranked Indigenous researcher grant recipient in the Emerging leadership category of Investigator Grants.
Our Collaborations in Health Research (OCHRe) Network
The OCHRe Network vision is for a culturally secure and inclusive network of Indigenous researchers across Australia and sovereign Indigenous Nations, that builds unique skills at the interface of culture, science and health research and translates to improvements in the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples. The OCHRe Network is funded by NHMRC.
