Road Map 3 is a comprehensive 10-year strategic framework to improve the health of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.
Road Map 3 is accompanied by a triennial Action Plan developed with National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus (PCIC) and annual reporting against these actions.
Key documents and reports
The following key documents and reports are available:
- Road Map 3: A strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research (Road Map 3)
- Action Plan (2021–2024)
- Action Plan (2018–2021)
- NHMRC Report Card 2021: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and researchers
- NHMRC Report Card 2020: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and researchers
- NHMRC Report Card 2019: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and researchers
- NHMRC Report Card 2018: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and researchers
- NHMRC Report Card 2017: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and researchers (see Downloads section, below)
- Road Map 3: A strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research – Report of Community Consultation
- 2010-2016 NHMRC and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Infographic (see Downloads section, below)
Video from PCIC about Road Map 3
Hear from NHMRC's PCIC about Road Map 3 in the following video:
NHMRC timeline of achievements
Figure 1 outlines NHMRC's timeline of achievements from 1994 to 2021 involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research:
1994 – NHMRC's first Indigenous Australian researcher to be funded was Professor Ian Anderson
1997 – Research Agenda Working Group (RAWG) was established as a joint initiative between NHMRC and the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)
1998 – NHMRC adopted the Darwin Criteria to ensure that specific standards are addressed and assessed for Indigenous health research
2002 – (1) A tripartite agreement between NHMRC, Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC), and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) was established. (2) NHMRC endorsed Road Map: A Strategic framework for improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through research. (3) NHMRC Council recommended an Indigenous representative be appointed to Council and each of the principal committees of NHMRC.
2003 – The Interim Guidelines on Ethical Matters are reviewed and replaced by the Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research
2008 – The target of 5% of the Medical Research Endowment Account funding is reached
2012 – NHMRC's Indigenous advisory committee was renamed to Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus (PCIC)
2017 – NHMRC-Lowitja Institute Symposium on Research Translation in Indigenous health
2019 - NHMRC Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award. This award is named to honour Professor Sandra Eades FAHMS.
2021 – Establishment and funding of the National Network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers. Bringing together unique skills across culture, knowledge and health research to address the health priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Description of the banner artwork: by Jordan Lovegrove, Indigenous Artist
The artwork (top of page) for the NHMRC's work with Indigenous health and medical research communicates empowerment of people over their health, the progression of learning and knowledge out from the meeting place (NHMRC – bottom left corner), where many people are gathered. In the streams there are the sources of nutrition and health – ants, berry bush and fish, as well as stars which symbolise new ideas.
