The cover artwork for our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan was created by Richard Allan, Director, Traditional Core. See page 3 of the plan for the story of the artwork.
Disclaimer: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Australian Academy of Science acknowledges and pays respects to the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the Academy office is located. The Academy also acknowledges and pays respects to the Traditional Owners and the Elders past, present and emerging of all the lands on which the Academy operates and its Fellows live and work. They hold the memories, traditions, cultures and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.
Our vision
Our vision for reconciliation is that the contributions to scientific knowledge from Australia’s First Nations peoples are respected and celebrated, and that we draw on diverse knowledges, including Traditional Knowledges, to build a stronger, more innovative, and sustainable nation and world. The Academy seeks to make systemic, strategic and sustainable contributions across the STEM sector to support reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples, ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are empowered to engage in science and enjoy the benefits of science.
Our plan for reconciliation
It is crucial that the Academy creates opportunities to work respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to address issues that impact on them and to support their contribution to scientific, policy, international and communication activities enabled by the Academy. Our Reconciliation Action Plan outlines the practical steps we are taking to support positive change and facilitate reconciliation. Responsibility for implementing the plan lies with all Fellows and staff of the Academy.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan sets out specific actions under four broad goals.
Relationships
Goal: The Academy will seek out and strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples based on mutual respect, with the intention of building our capacity to empower the next generation of scientists, aligned with the Academy’s strategic objectives of excellence and diversity. We will seek to do this through connecting people with opportunities, listening to others’ experiences and building mutually beneficial partnerships.
> Progress
Publicly supporting the Voice referendum
Formally endorsing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2021
Hosting and promoting attendance at National Reconciliation Week (NRW) events for employees and Fellows, and circulating Reconciliation Australia’s NRW resources
Collating a database of relationships across the Academy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and individuals
Respect
Goal: The Academy will develop a deeper understanding of, and celebrate, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, history and achievements to support a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Academy Fellowship and Secretariat. We will respect, understand and celebrate First Nations peoples’ Knowledge, history and truth-telling to enable the Academy to be deeply influential and trusted as an independent advisor on scientific matters.
> Progress
Making Cultural Competency training available to Academy Fellows and employees
Participating in a guided cultural education experience on country
Focusing the Academy’s annual Public Speaker Series in 2023 on First Nations peoples’ Knowledges.
Organising two online events in 2021, including a COVID-19 webinar series on how COVID-19 is impacting Indigenous populations around the world
Facilitating an Indigenous Knowledges workshop at the Academy’s flagship event Science at the Shine Dome in 2022
Producing an Acknowledgement of Country guide for Fellows, employees, and others to use at events and meetings
Organising annual NAIDOC Week events, including an interview with Aboriginal scientist Associate Professor Bradley Moggridge and a webinar with four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STEM professionals, ‘Embracing Indigenous Knowledges in STEM’
Facilitating employees attending NAIDOC and NRW events through paid time off and financial support
Organising a joint event to explore Indigenous Engagement in partnership with Royal Society Canada and Royal Society Te Aparangi
Opportunities
Goal: The Academy will identify opportunities for direct action, be a catalyst for broader change and support the actions of others to make real change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will demonstrate excellence and diversity through building a Fellowship and Secretariat representative of the community.
> Progress
Partnering with Career Trackers to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander internship
Electing of Professor Tom Calma, the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person elected to the Academy Fellowship
Providing material support for the establishment of the National Indigenous STEM Professional Network
Continuing to offer and promote the Academy’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award and the Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in Medical Science, building an alumni of early- and mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STEM professionals
Governance and tracking progress
Goal: Establish and maintain an effective RAP Working Group (RWG) to drive governance of the RAP.
> Progress
Refreshing our Reconciliation Action Plan Working group, maintaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation
Participating in the 2024 Reconciliation Australia, Workplace RAP barometer
Participating in the RAP Impact Measurement Questionnaire
Future actions and opportunities
Future actions and opportunities outlined in the plan include:
working with Academy Fellows and the science community to promote and facilitate evidence-informed conversations on Traditional Knowledges. Our work will recognise Traditional Knowledges in Australia’s scientific and technological knowledge systems
building on existing engagements and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander science and scientists, and deepening those relationships forged over the past decade
creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the Fellowship and Secretariat, as well as building on outreach programs to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and career paths in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
developing commercial relationships with, and creating opportunities and pathways for procurement from, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.
External events
We encourage involvement by Fellows, staff and all Academy friends in local, regional or national events, in particular days of significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These include:
National Sorry Day—26 May; a key recommendation in the Bringing them home report produced from the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families
The Academy’s flagship event, Science at the Shine Dome: 23 November 2022—A highlight of the gala dinner was a conversation on stage between Karlie Alinta Noon, a Gamilaroi yinarr woman and astronomy PhD candidate and lecturer from the Australian National University, and the Minister for Industry and Science the Hon Ed Husic MP.
Recognising achievement: Academy awards and funding
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award
This award recognises research in the physical and biological sciences, allowing interdisciplinary and sociocultural research that could straddle the social sciences and humanities, by outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists. It aims to support their research and/or the expansion and growth of their research networks and international knowledge exchange through visits to relevant international centres of research. Awards will be for up to $20,000, with additional support provided to attend the Academy's annual Science at the Shine Dome event.
Ms Stephanie Beaupark – to study the colour chemistry of natural dyes from Australian native trees and using an Indigenist methodology involving yarning with other Indigenous natural dye artists and weavers.
Ms Michelle Hobbs – to provide new insights into the management of Australian freshwater ecosystems and freshwater mussels.
2022 awardees
Dr Jordan Pitt—to study the interaction between sea ice and ocean waves, in order to improve future climate models.
Ms Tamara Riley—a project called ‘Walu-win mayiny balugan mawang’ (Well people and animals all together) to understand how the human–animal–environment relationship impacts on Aboriginal communities’ health, and then to develop ‘One Health’ models for use in Aboriginal communities.
Ms Vanessa Sewell—to address the problem of vaccinating against drench-resistant sheep parasites, such as brown stomach worms and black scour worms.
Dr Keane Wheeler—a project that involves a co-design process with the Yarrabah Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to create a ‘Move2Smile with Culture’ program, which will combine fundamental movement skills and socio-emotional learning through embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing.
Mr Luke Williams—to develop evidence-based risk assessments of traditional food products in a manner that considers the stories, knowledge and interests of Aboriginal communities, while also meeting the safety data requirements set out by regulatory bodies around the world.
2020 awardees
Mr Frank Loban—to visit New Zealand to discuss and learn from fisheries management organisations how they are managing their fisheries, governance framework and Indigenous interests.
Dr Michael-Shawn Fletcher—to visit Udayana University in Bali to establish a research collaboration and to collect paleoclimatic data that will act as pilot data for another larger research grant proposal in 2020.
Inaugural awardees, 2019
Mr Tui Nolan, University of Technology Sydney—to visit the Alan Turing Institute in London to study computational methods that have applications in public health and education.
Ms Amy Searle, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute—to attend the Science at the Shine Dome event in 2019, the annual signature event of the Australian Academy of Science.
Mr Bradley Moggridge, University of Canberra—to visit New Zealand to learn how Māori culture has incorporated Indigenous knowledge and values into their water management practice.
Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in Medical Science
The Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in Medical Science was made possible through a generous bequest made by Lola Rachel Maude Douglas, a philanthropist with a keen interest in medical research. One of her great wishes was to support young researchers and this bequest enables the Academy to help to fulfil this wish. The scholarship is offered as a ‘top up’ scholarship to PhD candidates awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Scholarship in one of the areas of Indigenous or primary health care, with preference given by the Academy to the area of Indigenous health research.
