CSIRO/ ANU Indigenous Engagement Project

Dodson M¹*, Morton S²*

1. National Centre for Indigenous Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
2. CSIRO, Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Indigenous Australians are a culturally distinct group within Australian society with a growing land base coming under their ownership and control. Many Indigenous communities suffer severe socio-economic disadvantage and social exclusion, as well as a much greater burden of ill-health than other Australians. In addition to the needs arising from these circumstances, Indigenous Australians also have extraordinary contributions to make to Australia across cultural, economic and scientific domains.

CSIRO is the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, an Australian federal research agency. With over 6500 staff spread over 21 divisions CSIRO conducts applied research in numerous disciplines including the physical sciences and social sciences. In the past five years there has been a growing interest within CSIRO in improving the organisation’s ability to engage with Indigenous communities to meet their diverse needs. In a number of areas within CSIRO steps have been taken to create ethical partnerships based on shared goals, and to directly employ more Aboriginal and Islander researchers. Nevertheless, our level of engagement through research, employment and other point of interface remains very low.

CSIRO recently developed a project in partnership with the ANU’s Professor of Indigenous Studies, Mick Dodson, to significantly increase the existing level of engagement and impact. This project is being overseen by an expert Steering Committee drawn from both CSIRO and ANU, and chaired by Prof. Dodson. The interest in Indigenous research and partnerships coincides with greater recognition within CSIRO of the need to integrate social and economic dimensions of human societies and development. The project facilitates dialogue within the organisation, and between the organisation and Indigenous stakeholders on a range of matters including:

• CSIRO’s mandate and imperative for meeting Indigenous needs;
• Organisational and individual relationships with the Indigenous sector/communities
• The degree of organisational support for Indigenous engagement.

In this paper, Mick Dodson and Steve Morton reflect on this experience, the impact to date and the insights achieved.

Click here to view the full paper