- Call for applications: Partnerships for Cancer Research grant program
- 2024 CQI Collaborative: Empowering communities for child health
- New independent living community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders opens in Ballarat
- Rhiarn Snowden: A Story of Resilience, Culture, and the Power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge
- Connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through food and social eating
- Sector Jobs
- Events and training
The NACCHO Sector News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.
We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.
Call for applications: Partnerships for Cancer Research grant program
Cancer Australia has launched the Partnerships for Cancer Research grant program, a new $9.6 million initiative to support cancer research for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This grant program focuses on improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to enhance equitable cancer care, build research skills among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, and support local leadership in cancer research. It aims to involve communities in designing research for their benefit and strengthen partnerships between communities, health services, and academic institutions. These are key objectives in both the Australian Cancer Plan and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Plan.
The grant program will facilitate partnerships between organisations working together with community to deliver research activities. Partnerships can be between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisations and mainstream organisations (including research groups and cancer services), or between two or more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisations.
Each research partnership can apply for a grant between $0.8 to $2.5 million over a maximum 3-year grant period commencing June 2025.
Cancer Australia is delivering this grant in partnership with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
How to apply:
The grant program is open to applications from Wednesday 16 October 2024 (AEDT) until 5pm (AEDT) Wednesday 12 February 2025, via NHMRC’s grant management system – Sapphire.
Minimum data is due by 5pm (AEDT) on Wednesday 4 December 2024.
For detailed instructions on how to apply please refer to the grant guidelines available on GrantConnect.
To find out more about the grants and scholarships available under the Improving First Nations Cancer Outcomes funding measure, go here. 
2024 CQI Collaborative: Empowering communities for child health
The 2024 CQI Collaborative was held in Darwin this year at the Double Tree Hilton on the 8th and 9th of October. The theme was Bright Beginnings: Empowering Communities for Child Health, and so attendees heard from many great presentations about child and maternal health, and community engagement.
Day one began with a beautiful Welcome to Country from Lynette Fejo (Larrakia Elder) and her daughter Gabby. There were excellent plenary speakers over the two days, including John Paterson, Tamsin Cockayne, Donna Ah Chee, Paul Burgess, Yvette Roe and Rob McPhee. As well as some very interesting and insightful CQI discussions had by attendees working in the child and maternal health space (including education), in health data and research, and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care.
Slides from the Collab will soon be accessible on the AMSANT CQI website here.
This story is from the CQI Quarterly Newsletter. To read the full addition, go here.
New independent living community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders opens in Ballarat
The new independent living community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders in Ballarat, Victoria, is a positive development that addresses social isolation and provides culturally appropriate support.
The project, led by the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative and the Victorian Government, features eight units for 16 Elders and facilities such as a shared hall and medical treatment rooms.
Elders like Doreen Abbott have praised the community for creating a space that fosters connection and comfort, meeting the needs of those who were previously isolated. This project marks a step forward in ensuring dignified living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.
To read more, go here.
Rhiarn Snowden: A Story of Resilience, Culture, and the Power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge
Rhiarn Snowden, a proud Ngemba woman and nursing student at Edith Cowan University (ECU), uses her lived experiences and resilience to advocate for the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in healthcare.
She emphasises the importance of cultural awareness in healthcare education, particularly for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes.
Rhiarn believes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare professionals can bridge the gap between Western medicine and traditional knowledge, enhancing culturally safe practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
To read more, go here.
Connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through food and social eating
In the heart of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture lies a culinary tradition as rich and diverse as the land itself. For countless generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have nurtured a deep connection to the land through their food practices.
This highlights the positive impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander food practices in strengthening community bonds and preserving cultural heritage. It also emphasises how traditional foods, like bush tucker, connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to their culture, fostering unity and continuity across generations.
Shared meals serve as powerful cultural moments that enhance social cohesion and promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander food traditions can lead to improved health outcomes while respecting cultural identity.
To read more, go here.
Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.
Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.
ACCHO Governance Workshops
Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025.
Registrations are now open for:
-
Broome: 24-25 October
The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:
- Delegation of powers
- Finance for Boards
- Governance documents
- Managing conflicts of interest
- Managing risk
- Principles of good governance
- Structure and role of boards and sub-committees
To register, go here.
For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.
