The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is investing AU$6.7 million in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research aimed at improving family safety and wellbeing. The funding is intended to support research that builds on cultural knowledge, strengthens communities and generates practical evidence that can create meaningful change. By focusing on community priorities and culturally grounded approaches, the initiative seeks to deliver solutions that are both effective and relevant to the lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
The funding is being provided through the Targeted Call for Research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, specifically focused on addressing violence for safer families and communities. Under this one-time grant opportunity, two multidisciplinary research teams have been selected to develop approaches that are culturally safe, trauma-informed and community-driven. The goal is to improve the safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities by addressing violence in ways that are responsive to both historical and contemporary realities.
The announcement highlights that violence against women, children and gender-diverse people is a broader societal issue, but that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children and gender-diverse people experience its impacts disproportionately. This makes the research especially urgent, as it aims to address a significant gap in knowledge and support while centring the voices and leadership of affected communities. The emphasis on culturally safe and community-led research reflects an understanding that effective responses must be developed in partnership with those most directly impacted.
One of the funded projects will be led by Professor Marcia Langton AO from the University of Melbourne. Her Aboriginal-led research aims to improve understanding of the experiences of families affected by family violence and child removals. The project will also create an accessible evidence map focused on preventing and reducing the impacts of family violence, co-design a toolkit for community-led programs, and introduce a new tool to help identify and support pregnant women experiencing family violence. This work is intended to strengthen both prevention efforts and early intervention support.
The second funded project will be led by Professor Faye McMillan AM from Charles Sturt University. Her research will focus on improving the cultural safety of workplaces through stronger governance, manager training and peer support systems. Delivered in partnership with health services across regional New South Wales, the project is designed to address violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workers. In doing so, it supports wider national efforts to improve safety, respect and wellbeing within healthcare environments.
NHMRC described the Targeted Call for Research as a one-time funding opportunity used to address a specific health issue where there is a major research gap or unmet need. In this case, the funding is being used to support evidence-based solutions in an area of urgent importance, while also expanding research capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. The selected projects are expected to contribute knowledge that can inform stronger programs, better models of care and more effective community responses over time.
NHMRC Chief Executive Officer Professor Steve Wesselingh said the funding reflects the organisation’s commitment to building research capacity and generating co-designed evidence that can empower communities, foster resilience and support the broader adoption of effective care models. He emphasised that strengths-based, community-led partnerships and culturally responsive research are essential to ensuring that health and medical research genuinely meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Overall, the AU$6.7 million investment represents a targeted effort to support safer families and stronger communities through culturally grounded research. By backing Aboriginal-led and community-driven projects, NHMRC is seeking to create evidence and tools that not only respond to violence but also help build long-term safety, wellbeing and resilience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
