AIATSIS National Indigenous Research Conference July 2019

The ARC was proud to sponsor and participate in the 2019 Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) National Indigenous Research Conference, which was held at Queensland University of Technology from 1 to 3 July 2019. 

Ms Sarah Howard, Branch Manager, and Ms Millennia Pullen, Assistant Director, from the ARC’s Research Evaluation Branch, spoke to conference delegates about the 2018 Engagement and Impact assessment introduced as part of the Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda. 

For the first time in a national assessment of university research, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research was treated as its own discipline. Universities provided impact studies outlining the type of research undertaken, described the benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the ways in which universities supported Indigenous-led research and outcomes outside academia. These impact studies were assessed by an expert panel of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in research, business and community. 

Ms Genevieve Nicoll and Mr Vishal Pandey—from the ARC’s Stakeholder Relations and Discovery Projects and Indigenous teams respectively—also represented the ARC at the AIATSIS trade fair, engaging with conference delegates about National Competitive Grants Program schemes, sharing ARC publications and answering questions about the work of the ARC. It was also a good opportunity to connect with many other trade fair participants including representatives from universities, AIATSIS, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, and Indigenous Business Australia.     

Image: Mr Vishal Pandey and Ms Genevieve Nicoll at the ARC's trade fair desk at the AIATSIS conference.
Credit: Millennia Pullen.