Atlantic Philanthropies Incentive Grant Program

Successful applicants

2023

Project name: Yolŋu Teacher Exchange Program
Lead researcher: Bern Murphy, PhD candidate/Research Fellow
Funded amount: $101,129
About the research project: The aim of the NEAL Oral Health Project is to support local capacity to progress the East Arnhem Oral Health Plan in partnership with Miwatj HAC and in collaboration with the plan’s other partners- the Laynhapuy and Marthacal Homelands Corporations and the NTG’s Top End Oral Health Services. The objectives of the Plan are to: 1. Re-establish the NEAL OH Working Group and develop 2023-2025 Operational Plan; 2. Establish a dental student placement program to add to local capacity to deliver the strategies of the NEAL OH Plan; 3. Increase culturally located oral health promotion, preventive and clinical services for the Yolŋu community.

Project name: Innovative and culturally appropriate strategies to reduce blood sugar levels in Indigenous Australians living in a very remote community in Arnhem Land
Lead researcher: Hasthi Dissanayake, Research Fellow in Indigenous Health and Trial Co-Ordinator for Elcho Project
Funded amount: $98,216.43
About the research project: Following on from a completed NHMRC funded trial “Evaluation of a community-led nutrition and lifestyle program for weight loss and metabolic health” (NHMRC APP1179067), this project will examine the long-term impact of the Elcho Health and Wellbeing Program and understand community acceptance and barriers participants may have in sustaining lifestyle changes; and 2. Develop the Galiwin’ku Nutrition Action group, which will support community-led decision making to reduce sugar consumption in community and provide higher level advocacy for nutrition and lifestyle focused infrastructure and community activities.

Project name: Northeast Arnhem Land Oral Health Project 2023- 2025
Lead researcher: Julie Satur, Director Engagement and Indigenous Programs, Melbourne Dental School
Funded amount: $111,000
About the research project: The aim of the NEAL Oral Health Project is to support local capacity to progress the East Arnhem Oral Health Plan in partnership with Miwatj HAC and in collaboration with the plan’s other partners- the Laynhapuy and Marthacal Homelands Corporations and the NTG’s Top End Oral Health Services. The objectives of the Plan are to: 1. Re-establish the NEAL OH Working Group and develop 2023-2025 Operational Plan; 2. Establish a dental student placement program to add to local capacity to deliver the strategies of the NEAL OH Plan; 3. Increase culturally located oral health promotion, preventive and clinical services for the Yolŋu community.

Project name: Supporting Indigenous Knowledge, Research and Data Governance and Cultural Preservation in North East Arnhem Land
Lead researcher: Kristen Smith, Senior Research Fellow and Research Director of the Indigenous Studies Unit and Indigenous Data Network in the Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
Funded amount: $75,000
About the research project: This project responds to concerns raised by Yalmay Yunupingu and other staff within the Yirrkala School Language Production Centre related to the unauthorised use of their materials and knowledge and other related Intellectual Property issues.  Issues related to the appropriation of Indigenous knowledges and Yolŋu resources developed by Yolŋu educators and partners have emerged over recent years, with Yolŋu knowledge holders concerned about the lack of Yolŋu governance determining how this knowledge is used, distributed and shared.

Project name: Indigenous Ranger Djaama (work): insights from two leading Indigenous land and sea organisations in North-east Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
Lead researcher: Margaret Aye, Associate Professor at Faculty of Science
Funded amount: $61,528
About the research project: The aim of the research is to understand and explore how Indigenous Ranger work can be organised and performed in ways that empower Rangers to honour and exercise their rights, responsibilities, knowledge/s to manage Country effectively, based on their own worldviews.  It is a collaboration involving two leading Yolŋu (Indigenous) land and sea management organisations in North-east Arnhem Land, the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and Yirralka Rangers. The proposed project builds on previous collaborative research focussed on understanding and articulating the benefits and ‘value’ of Yolŋu Ranger work.

Project name: Sand sculpture conservation
Lead researcher: Robert Lazarus, Lecturer, Grimwade Centre
Funded amount: $48,000
About the research project: Yolŋu cultural leaders conserve sand sculptures in Northeast Arnhem as significant forms of heritage. Sand sculptures represent a precarious achievement that is constantly negotiated over time by a group of cultural leaders. The long-term maintenance of sand sculptures is hard work. Yolŋu leaders who are responsible for the critical work of maintenance seek support to protect significant conservation areas and have held discussions with a range of people to develop a heritage project. This project aims to seed a conservation research program in response to requests from current leaders, who want to document and promote the safeguarding of cultural heritage happening in the homelands.

2021

Project name: Yolŋu and Indigenous Law & Justice Hub Collaborative Project
Lead researcher: Eddie Cubillo, Associate Dean (Indigenous Programs) and Director, Indigenous Law and Justice
Funded amount: $100,000
About the research project: The aim of the project was to consult with partners and stakeholders on country and in Darwin, to ascertain community appetite for collaboration with the Melbourne Law School’s Indigenous Law and Justice Hub (ILJH), and initiate conversations about community priorities and aspirations. Possible engagement between Yolŋu and the ILJH will focus on areas including, but not limited to, criminal justice, on-country learning on Yolŋu law and its relationships to settler law and providing support to Yolŋu on their response to the NT Treaty Commissioner’s Treaty Discussion paper. An amount of $100,000 was awarded.

2020

Project name: Cultural Induction Resource – NE Arnhem
Lead researcher: Bern Murphy, PhD candidate/Research Fellow
Funded amount: $52,000
About the research project:  The application for funding was to develop a Yolŋu cultural induction resource to be used by the Yirrkala School and Laynhapuy Homelands School and University of Melbourne students and staff coming to work or visit the Yirrkala Community, Laynhapuy Homelands and Yambirrpa Schools.  It will serve as an effective induction tool by the University of Melbourne as part of the boarder partnership the University has with the Yolŋu of the Miwatj region. This will be an effective two-way learning tool that provides an experience and introduction to Yolŋu culture and the homelands. The amount of $52,005 was awarded.