Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners undertake a cultural burn in Tang Tang swamp, Victoria. AAP Image/Supplied by Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
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Indigeneous knowledge in Australia

Indigenous science can help solve some of the great problems of our time. Here’s how… Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners undertake a cultural burn in Tang Tang swamp, Victoria. AAP Image/Supplied by Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Australia has committed to elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge as one of five national priorities in science and research. This comes as part of the National Science Statement released by the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic. The statement signals the national priorities that will shape investment and policy across research and development over the next decade. Indigenous knowledge systems are a national strength! Australian research already punches above its weight. The statement notes we produce 3.4% of the world’s research with just 0.33% of the world’s population. So how can we accelerate our impact? Indigenous knowledge systems are a national strength. The history of science on this continent is extraordinary, yet we often fail to recognise the sophisticated knowledges held by our First Nations peoples. Indigenous voices must be at the table. The first peoples, the first scientists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the first astronomers, physicists, biologists and pharmacists on this continent. From as far back as 65,000 years Indigenous people have been integrating knowledge systems with and for people and Country. There are many examples of Indigenous knowledge contributing to contemporary problems. Traditional Aboriginal burning takes into account local weather conditions, plants, environments and animals. Support regeneration and biodiversity It is showing how plants react to fire, how to reduce the risk of major fire events, and support regeneration and biodiversity. Indigenous-led approaches to urban water are pointing towards more sustainable water management practices that also regenerate ecological and cultural environments. Beyond this, Indigenous approaches to research can challenge Western science models in important ways that can bring about new leaps of innovation. The stakes are high The new national statement comes at a time when we face existential threats in climate change, artificial intelligence, new pandemics, social unrest and beyond. Research remains crucial to finding solutions for our survival. But we must approach the task of elevating these knowledge systems in the right way and be mindful of the ongoing legacies of colonisation. Eminent Māori scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith has noted: Indigenous people are considered the most researched in the world, and yet have seen the least amount of benefit. The legacy of these past practices continues to foster uncertainty and distrust of research (and researchers) by many in Indigenous communities. This observation, based on engagement and conversations with communities, highlights an imbalance in research benefit between those who are studied and those who do the research. It is tied to centuries of colonisation. Huge extraction of knowledge from Indigenous peoples Science has long adhered to the principle of “do no harm”. However, Western science has sometimes done harm. This was recently highlighted in Melbourne University’s book Dhoombak Goobgoowana, or truth-telling in the Woi Wurrung language, which described some of the terrible outcomes of colonial biases in science. At the same time Western institutions and industries have extracted an extraordinary amount of knowledge from Indigenous peoples. According to the World Health Organization around 40% of pharmaceutical products today draw from nature and traditional knowledge, including landmark drugs: aspirin, artemisinin [an ancient Chinese herbal malaria treatment], and childhood cancer treatments. Big benefits for pharmaceutical companies This has benefited humanity, and fattened the profits of many pharmaceutical companies. Yet Indigenous people have seen very little financial benefit – or even credit. This is one of the many reasons we need to foster Indigenous-led research and engage communities in research. Bringing more people to the table – both in research and at universities in general – will help us ask better questions. It will ensure people, especially Indigenous peoples, can lead or guide the research, see benefit and help build capacity in communities. A call for teamwork The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies code of ethics points the way forward. It centres Indigenous self-determination, Indigenous leadership, sustainability and accountability, and demonstrating impact and value. It all starts with listening, and ensuring that research addresses priorities determined and supported by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The National Science Statement calls for teamwork. It calls for research collaborations between universities, civil society, governments and international partners to solve some of our biggest societal, geopolitical, economic and environmental challenges. Make the world a better place This task also demands new approaches to what responsibility means in research. To create futures in which people can thrive, responsible research must go beyond compliance to formal rules of ethics and integrity. It must ask much bigger questions about the place of research within local communities and much larger geopolitical environments. And it must reconsider how we partner well with the governments, industries and the communities with which we are embedded. This takes us right back to the question of why we do research. Is it to publish more papers, or find a drug that makes a lot of money? Or are we here to make the world a better place? It’s a question the National Statement on Science is asking. It is up to us to put it into practice. This article was first published by The Conversation and written by Tristan Kennedy (Professor & Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous), Monash University) and Melissa Miles (Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, Monash University).  Find the original here. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER To stay up to date with our projects and the development of the EHC Read more articles

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Philippines research model targets ‘real-world solutions’

Engaging with the community in research projects from the very outset ensures that research translates into meaningful real-world solutions, says the head of the National Research Council of the Philippines. A fisheries scientist engaging with the community in Del Carmen mangrove forests in Siargao island in the Philippines. Copyright: Courtesy of NRCP. “This is contributing to the overall development of communities and by domino effect to the progress of the country and the wider ASEAN region,” NRCP Executive Director Bernardo Sepeda says. Established in 1933 and now part of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the NRCP champions transdisciplinary research, involving all stakeholders from inception to disseminating the solution, which “ensures that science translates into real-world solutions for the people who need it”, according to Sepeda. A NRCP-funded research project in the Philippine island of Siargao, for example, has positively impacted education, livelihoods, food security, eco-tourism and marine conservation, besides providing protection from typhoons and flooding. “It has motivated the community to preserve the mangroves,” Sepeda explains during an interview with SciDev.Net. “Our researchers collaborated with the community in gathering scientific data on the endemic species of flora and fauna to develop a holistic conservation policy.” A wetland of international importance The project has led to the Del Carmen mangrove forest being recognized as a wetland of international importance by the government, a precursor to being listed under the Ramsar Convention. The NRCP grant has also supported the development of educational materials and a smartphone game application to educate children and youth on Siargao’s rich biodiversity, such as understanding the habitat and behaviour of the Mindanao tree squirrel. Oriented basic research The council caters to two types of research: pure basic research, which refers to fundamental research in the sciences and the humanities; and oriented basic research, which seeks new knowledge required for application and may also contribute to general scientific advancement in the process. The usual proposals being submitted and accepted are those that forge linkages between the government, particularly local governments, academia, industry and civil society; and funding is prioritised for projects that will ensure translation and transfer of social technologies to the people. The research grants-in-aid are only given to NRCP members. The membership has swelled from 114 members at inception to over 6,000 members today. Government funding for science research is increasing “NRCP receives about 140 research proposals annually, out of which only 10 per cent are accepted for funding. Our associate members can receive Php2 million (US$40,000) annual funding or Php6 million (US$120,000) for a three-year project, whereas regular members have no maximum limit,” says Sepeda. The Council is funded by the government, and is responsible for allocating funds, monitoring their use and assessing their impact. “The R&D budget for 2024 is Php153.3 million (US$2.71 million),” explains Sepeda. “It is still below 0.5 per cent of the GDP, but government funding for science research is increasing to spearhead development in the country.” Greening of mined areas “All NRCP research projects are aimed at maximising economic and social benefits for the people, and mitigating disasters arising from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunami,” says Sepeda. The current focus areas for research funding are sustainable communities and greening of mined areas. One example is the Greening Mined-out Areas in the Philippines NRCP-funded project. An efficient bioremediation solution “Our scientists have developed an efficient and cost-effective bioremediation solution, using microbes with native plant species – lahi-lahi, narra, and mangkono, to revitalise the soil in mined areas for tree planting,” says Sepeda. “We are encouraging communities to embrace these solutions because their support is essential in any reforestation project.” Continental and world cooperation NRCP is a member of the International Science Council and Science Council of Asia. “This provides our scientists a collaborative platform for scientific exchange and cooperation in Asia,” Sepeda explains. “We have partnerships with organisations in the US, Australia, Japan and other countries, for example, we are partnering with Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council in the field of health and agriculture research; and we are exploring partnership with the National Research Council of Thailand in engineering and use of artificial intelligence in disaster risk resilience,” he adds. Neena Bhandari This article was published first by the SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific edition. Read the original article here. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER To stay up to date with our projects and the development of the EHC

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