Indigenous research
We commit to progressing the welfare of Indigenous peoples through recognising and engaging with the traditional custodians of our land, promoting a greater level of understanding of indigenous culture and knowledge, and educating future indigenous researchers. (UWA 2020 Vision).
The Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Education is charged with delivering UWA’s strategy and focus in relation to Indigenous education, teaching, research and engagement issues. Part of this includes developing Indigenous research capacity and the advancement of an Indigenous research agenda for the University.
UWA is also committed equitable Indigenous participation and outcomes in research and research training, developing research initiatives that add to the body of knowledge and experiences of Indigenous peoples and effective Indigenous participation in the University’s research decision-making.
In addition to the campus-wide brief, the PVC Indigenous Education is also responsible for the oversight of the School of Indigenous Studies. Its status as a formal academic component of a leading research university means the School is expected to focus on research and the School’s academic staff members are required to be active researchers.
Research in the Indigenous space
Research in the Indigenous space encompasses two main dimensions:
- Building Indigenous researchers and research capacity
- Research with and/or on Indigenous people and topics
UWA is focused on building the capacity of Indigenous academic staff currently employed at UWA, increasing the number of Indigenous academics at UWA through recruiting Indigenous academic staff, and increasing the numbers of Indigenous higher degree by research (HDR) graduates.
As part of this focus, UWA is keen to ensure research with and/or on Indigenous people and topics adheres to associated research protocols and the ethics of funding bodies and community organisations. There is also an emphasis on ensuring non-Indigenous researchers undertake research on Indigenous topics as well as supervising Indigenous students and/or supervising non-Indigenous students researching Indigenous topics.
There are a number of significant research projects being undertaken in the Indigenous portfolio.
Indigenous Research Strategy
The Indigenous Research Strategy is a core component and integral part of the broader and overarching Indigenous Strategy for UWA and outlines the University's goals in three key priority areas:
- Building Indigenous researcher capacity
- Building Indigenous community capacity
- Ensuring quality research that meets the needs of Indigenous people
Building Indigenous researcher capacity
- Support Indigenous academic staff to build their research profile
- Increase the number of Indigenous academic staff at UWA
- Build an Indigenous postgraduate HDR student pipeline
Building Indigenous community capacity
- Recognition of Indigenous knowledge and knowledge-holders
- Enable culturally determined research; set research agendas that meet Indigenous needs
- Establish research training that builds skills bases and is properly accredited
Ensure quality Indigenous Research that meets the needs of Indigenous people
- Promote Indigenous research protocols and guidelines – community- and discipline-specific
- Provide cultural training and development of all senior staff, researchers, students, supervisors
- Embed Indigenous engagement in research decision-making
- Establish Indigenous knowledge as a strategic research priority