Apply now for our health and wellbeing scholarships, or a grant/scholarship to support research to address HIV and viral hepatitis as part of our GLOWS Grant Program.
There’s always a buzz in Naarm during AFL finals season, but this September brought a new excitement: the Victorian Government introduced a bill to Parliament to legislate a treaty agreement with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. The legislation is the first of its kind in Australia. The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria has spent the past decade working towards this historic outcome, engaging with Aboriginal corporations and individuals across the state.
I’m proud that Lowitja Institute played a small role in the process, having collaborated with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) on a 2021 feasibility study. That study explored the establishment of an Aboriginal-led body focused on holding the state accountable to its commitments to our people. Titled Victorian Aboriginal Authority: an initial feasibility study for discussion, the report identified gaps in existing systems and proposed mechanisms to strengthen accountability. Several of these mechanisms were embedded in the bill introduced last month.
With the Victoria Parliament expected to vote on the bill in October, I’m hopeful this historic legislation can deliver opportunities for genuine self-determination. What’s certain is that other Australian states and territories are watching the Victorian process closely; positive outcomes in Victoria could ultimately lead to expedited treaty progress elsewhere – and that’s a win for all mob.
In closing, I wish to express our deep sadness regarding the news of the passing of Professor Kerin O’Dea AO. Professor O’Dea played a pivotal role in the early development of Lowitja Institute more than 20 years ago. As a director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health (CRCAH) from 1999–2005, her leadership was instrumental in the foundation of the Institute through securing funding and key collaborative opportunities for the CRCAH, which became Lowitja Institute in 2010. Her unwavering advocacy and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people taking control of the research discourse ensures she leaves a profound and inestimably powerful legacy. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family.
ngun-godjin
(thank you)
Paul Stewart
CEO
Closing soon: Lowitja Institute Health and Wellbeing Scholarships
Applications for 2026 Lowitja Institute Health and Wellbeing Scholarships remain open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and early career researchers across three streams. Applications close on 15 October 2025. These scholarships contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership of health research by providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to develop skillsin areas relevant to meaningful health research.
Lowitja Journal webinar: Making theory, actioning theory, reflecting theory, living theory
Our upcoming webinar presented by The Lowitja Journal features Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Aotearoa NZ) speaking about the importance of theory as a project of decolonising and Re-Indigenising our worlds. Known internationally for her work on Decolonising research methodologies, Indigenous education and kaupapa Māori, Distinguished Professor Tuhiwai Smith will explore this through living a life of theory rather than pursuing a career of theory and what that may entail. Limited tickets are still available – register now!
SOLD OUT: Lowitja Institute Knowledge Translation Summit
Thank you to everyone who registered for our upcoming KT Summit. Following the success of our 2025 conference, this event brings together First Nations peoples, communities, researchers, and policymakers to share knowledge, showcase innovation, and influence systems change. We will showcase research projects and case studies featured at the conference, highlighting best practice for communities striving to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
GLOWS scholarships and grants now open
We recently opened applications to three streams within the Guiding Local Opportunities for Wellbeing (GLOWS) program. Since 2024, this program has helped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, community organisations, and their partners strive towards addressing HIV and viral hepatitis. Opportunities currently available include:
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Public Health Scholarships to assist students to undertake studies towards their entry into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research workforce
the GLOWS Medium Research Grant, for projects seeking to increase health equity and address disparities that continue to drive the transmission of HIV/viral hepatitis within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
GLOWS National Gathering Grant, which assists people to get together to share experiences and knowledge of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with HIV or viral hepatitis and research into HIV and viral hepatitis.
Ethics application Expression of interest – VACCHO HREC (part of the implementation of marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri: The Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord), first deadline 19 November
