Table 3 Research literature on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Researcher Workforce

Tsey, 2001 [43]

To introduce the formation of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health and the series of consultations contributing to RCB strategies under the Indigenous Education and Health Program

Research agenda development in the Northern Territory, shaped by partners across health research organisations, health care services, education providers and government

N/A

N/A

Bailey et al., 2006 [30]

Describe development and structure of a new VET-accredited research course to facilitate community research capacity via training of health workers

Research training of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers in community settings

Six RCB course modules: ‘existing services’, ‘identifying need’, ‘program development’, ‘service improvement’, ‘outcomes’, and ‘evaluation measures’

N/A

Department of Health and Ageing

Brands, Gooda, 2006 [43]

Outline development of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH) and impacts on governance, direction and modalities of health research

Establishment of CRCAH and strategies for increasing relevance and health impact of research (inc. research capacity building)

Brief mention of traineeships (p. 28)

N/A

Foster et al., 2006 [29]

Demonstrate establishment of a local Aboriginal researcher network and its effectiveness and other benefits

Development of Council-based and Aboriginal-led research (council staff residents), beginning with a survey on local views on a substance use restriction intervention

Workshop (1 week) conducted by two health researchers

N/A

Central Australian Division of Primary Health Care and the Centre for Remote Health

Street, Baum, Anderson, 2007 [42]

Attain views of researchers within organisations associated with the CRCAH on how research funding is organised (e.g. whether should be based on competition or collaboration)

Exploring views on the approach, processes and tenor of research funding by the CRCAH

N/A

Semi-structured qualitative interviews, with six experienced Aboriginal researchers, all in organisations connected with the CRCAH

Rumbold et al., 2008 [48]

Profile the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research workforce and gain health researcher views

Part of a research programme called Capacity-building in Indigenous Policy-relevant Health Research

Not on a discrete programme

Survey, cross-sectional, n = 373, 32 (9%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (38% employed at university and 22% government)

NHMRC

de la Barra et al., 2009 [35]

Compare effectiveness in advancing research capacity of two NHMRC schemes for the period 1996 to 2006: People Support and Capacity Building in Population Health

Government research funding at national level

Funding models: People Support and Capacity Building

Analysis of NHMRC data

de la Barra, Redman, Eades, 2009 [36]

To explore, in depth, changes within the NHMRC, especially the growing influence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in this organisation

Internal structures and policies of NHMRC and commitment to Indigenous health research

Research Projects funded by NHMRC People Support or Capacity Building in Population Health

NHMRC policy change process and key relationships

Case study: projects funded by either People Support or Capacity Building in Population Health

Interviews 7 leaders influencing NHMRC policy changes

Sydney University postgraduate scholarship

Mayo et al., 2009 [28]

Describe and reflect on long-term community partnerships with university researchers in establishment and management of health programmes (e.g. challenges and benefits for collaborators)

Workshop-facilitated collaboration between community-based and university-based researchers within a participatory research framework connected with health programmes (Family Well-Being Programme and Indigenous Men’s Support) at Gurriny Yealamucka health service

Learning of research during community-controlled health programme implementation and evaluation

Qualitative interviews (n = 5) and analysis of workshop transcripts

Not stated

Mooney-Somers, Maher, 2009 [47]

Case study of action research with built-in RCB of young community members and cross-organisation partnership building: Indigenous Resiliency Community-Based Participatory Research Project

Protection of young people from sexually transmissible infections and blood-borne viruses

Training of peer researchers from the community via workshops.

Peer researchers co-conduct interviews

Case study of the research project

International Collaboration in Indigenous Health Research Program

Saunders, West, Usher, 2010 [41]

Share student and supervisor stories of learning about and drawing on Indigenist research methodologies

At James Cook University, two Indigenous university students and their non-Indigenous supervisor negotiate (individually and jointly) the intersection of Indigenous research methodologies (e.g. Rigney) and Western research

N/A

N/A

NHMRC Research Capacity Building

Clapham, 2011 [34]

Reflect on the benefits of Indigenous leadership in health research, avenues of leadership development, and challenges

Several prevention research studies (esp. injuries) in NSW

N/A

N/A

Not stated

Guthrie et al., 2011–2012 [39]

Evaluative reflection on effectiveness of the Master of Applied Epidemiology (MAE) in RCB

MAE at ANU’s National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (funded by Department of Health and Ageing)

Coursework degree (3 months, over 2 years) with an intensive field placement in applied epidemiology (21 months)

Interviews and surveys, n = 13

Not stated

Kelly et al., 2012 [40]

Unpack research experiences and types of influences of research training and collaboration on research engagement and potential effects on the researcher’s planning

Multi-disciplinary, community-based research on ‘impacts of influenza’ in rural/remote

Three states

(specific sites: Tamworth, Inverell, Palm Island, Innisfail, Torres Strait, Bidyadanga)

Indigenous and non-Indigenous researcher partnerships

Qualitative research training workshops (18 days): data collection/analysis and writing; partnering with experienced researchers

Education principles: ‘learn by doing’, ‘two-ways learning’

Workshop attendees with different work backgrounds; diverse types of recruitment into the workshop

Interviews: telephone/email, n = 8

NHMRC

Elston et al., 2013 [37]

Reflect on the challenges and successes of a RCB programme:

Building Indigenous Research Capacity (BIRC) Collective

James Cook University

Programme positioned “within a framework of Indigenous leadership, ownership and engagement” (p. 11)

Regular mentoring

Workshops (5 days, 2 times a year for each of 5 years): gathering/sharing and research skills

Writing retreats from 2009

Mixed methods, Indigenous knowledge centred

Three components: (1) an evaluator from outside the Project, interviews and soliciting writing on reflections on the Project experience; (2) two members of the Project jointly doing a thematic analysis of narratives from the Project Community Report released in Year 5; (3) project-lifespan frequencies of outputs, such as new grants and publications

Capacity Building in Population Research Grant (NHMRC)

Bainbridge, 2016 [54]

National Indigenous Research Knowledges Network (NIRAKIN) support of Aboriginal academics

Research professional and leadership development over 5 years of involvement in NIRAKIN, esp. health node

Mentoring and team-based research, including leadership development

Solidarity with women

(p. 8)

Extension to funding

Auto-ethnography

(journaling and thematic analysis)

Not stated

Bainbridge et al., 2016 [31]

Reflect on co-development of health research linkages within the NIRAKIN

First 4 years of collaboration of university-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics via the Health and Wellbeing node of NIRAKIN

Culturally safe online meetings

Resource-supported partnership building

Collaborative auto-ethnography

Emic, narrative

11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, and one non-Indigenous researcher

Not stated

Davis et al., 2016 [49]

Evaluate progress after revisions to the MAE Program, including a new funding framework, from 2012

Formal degree classification changed to a research degree. Organisations offering field placements now contribute to the funding, alongside the internal funding by the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at ANU

See Guthrie et al. above

Internal document analysis

Not stated

Gray, Oprescu, 2016 [38]

Review Australian literature on the place of non-Indigenous researchers in research focused on Indigenous health

Current and future roles of non-Indigenous researchers

N/A

Literature review

Thematic analysis

Not stated

Young et al., 2016 [44]

Attain views of Aboriginal and Community-Controlled Health Service (ACCHS)-based health professionals on data (e.g. access)

ACCHS perspectives on data derived from research and/or clinical purposes—to inform local RCB and research partnerships with other health organisations.

N/A

Semi-structured interviews:

35 health professionals

(urban and regional ACCHSs)

Thematic analysis

NHMRC (Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health)

Cartwright et al., 2018 [33]

Case study of electronic survey methods of collecting evaluation data as a means of RCB within community-based Indigenous health organisations

Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council evaluation of their own organisational performance: culturally safe use of wireless platforms for self-report feedback by participants on workshops on alcohol and other drugs services (AOD-our-way and Crystal Clear workshops)

N/A

Case study, qualitative

Queensland Health and Australian Government

McPhail-Bell et al., 2018 [27]

To introduce an Indigenous research capacity building model for improving quality of health care provision

Embedding, in primary health care, a research-oriented and Indigenous led continuous quality improvement system

Setting policy and network structures for an “all teach, all learn” base for research capacity building.

N/A

NHMRC

Nichols et al., 2018 [4]

Demonstrate increasing capacity of health promotion staff to conduct and manage research evaluation of local programmes

Research learning of a four-member health promotion team within the Apunipima ACCHS and subsequent improvements to on-site programme evaluation systems

Workshops and ongoing sessions of mentoring, finishing with a conference presentation. Trainers and mentors within the ACCHS and from James Cook University

Surveys (n = 33 after workshops; n = 27 after mentoring meetings)

Not stated