The Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge (IHWGC)’s vision is to enable improvements in health and wellbeing outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples using novel approaches and best practice principles. IHWGC benefits Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities by empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and services.
This Grand Challenge is informed by strengths-based approaches that privilege Indigenous ways of knowing and doing and is Indigenous-led and governed. All research works are Indigenous-led and embedded in meaningful partnerships between researchers and community partners to maximise opportunities for impact in real world settings. This will strengthen existing community/organisational partnerships and enable the establishment of new partnerships. Capacity building is consistently implemented and supported. Mechanisms for improving health and wellbeing are align with the concept of social and emotional wellbeing (including health) which highlights the essential role of culture. The transdisciplinary program of such research draws on strengths in science, social science, history and the arts.
IHWGC is truly transdisciplinary, demonstrated by direct involvement from six Colleges, 13 Schools, and six Centres, with collaborations across ANU including the National Computational Infrastructure. The Grand Challenge Executive is based at the Research School of Population Health (RSPH, CHM). IHWGC aims to capacity build within the host Schools and Colleges, and provide a leveraging platform for growth, collaboration and relationship building with stakeholders.
Mission
The Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge’s mission is to:
- Enable improvements in health and wellbeing outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the areas of: Truth-Telling, improving kidney disease outcomes, mapping culture and Country, sovereign walks, Indigenous community and research partnerships.
- Build and maintain genuine partnerships with communities, stakeholders, and funders.
- Utilise best practice principles and novel research approaches, informed by IHWGC research priorities.
- Create research leadership opportunities and build Indigenous ECR capacity.
- Develop and implement an effective research communication strategy that adequately captures and communicates benefit resulting from IHWGC
Research Program
The Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge generates evidence specific to improving the health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Distinct yet synergistic research projects will address this aim by focusing the Grand Challenge research priorities on:
- addressing racism,
- addressing racism in the health system,
- evaluations of policies and programs,
- the relationships between culture and wellbeing, and/or
- precision medicine for serious diseases.
