The Minister for Health and Aged Care published the below Media Release on 19 October 2023.

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The Albanese Government is working to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through 26 research projects that have all involved First Nations people from the start, listening to the lived experience of people at every stage.

These Indigenous-led research projects will share in $30.8 million in funding to help find innovative ways to reduce chronic disease, improve mental health, help people quit smoking and increase resilience in kids.
 
The grants include almost $1 million to enable the successful Koori Quit Pack study to expand its culturally safe and tailored support to help First Nations people give up smoking.
 

• Nearly $980,000 will help fund a cultural dance project to build self-esteem, social and emotional wellbeing, physical fitness, and cultural identity and connection in First Nations children to reduce preventable diseases.
   
• Another $970,000 will enable the successful Too Deadly for Diabetes program to test whether adding a wearable continuous glucose monitor further improves diabetes self-management.
   
• Nearly $1.9 million will help establish community pharmacies as mental health safe spaces for First Nations people.
   

And almost $3 million will test new ways of delivering screening and surveillance for liver disease and hepatocellular cancer to remote communities.
 
Funding is provided through the Indigenous Health Research Fund - an 11-year, $160 million investment from the Medical Research Future Fund that supports First Nations-led research to tackle health issues facing First Nations people and help close the health and mortality gap.
 
The next grant opportunity is currently open for applications until 6 March 2024.
 
Further details about the successful projects can be found at Attachment A. 

Find out more here.