TTRA Round 3 Needs Assessment & Prioritisation Discussion Paper

MTPConnect and the Lowitja Institute have produced a discussion paper to help guide design of research funding programs that will benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.

The paper, 'Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Needs Assessment and Prioritisation Project', provides a framework for how Indigenous-led priority setting can inform important funding decisions.

The paper is based on the needs assessment and prioritisation work conducted for the third funding round of MTPConnect's Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program which targets solutions for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

MTPConnect partnered with the Lowitja Institute to lead the work, who ensured the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were centred in all aspects of the process of determining the Indigenous-specific priority areas.

Successful projects selected from TTRA Round 3 will closely align with one of the stated priority areas, will embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, and will demonstrate significant potential to benefit the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The discussion paper concluded:

"... an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led, evidence-based approach to identifying and assessing priorities is achievable and ensures that input and leadership from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, clinicians, policy makers and thought leaders are embedded, and the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are elevated."                     

Download TTRA Round 3 Priority Setting Discussion Paper

The discussion paper can also be downloaded from the Lowitja Institute website.

About TTRA: The $47 million TTRA initiative, supported by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), is providing a new integrated research program to improve the prevention, management and treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (D&CVD) in Australia. Research efforts are focused on the most pressing areas of unmet clinical and research needs in D&CVD, which are leading causes of death and disability in Australia.

About the Lowitja Institute: Lowitja Institute is Australia’s only national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health research institute, named in honour of its patron, Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG. It is working for the health and wellbeing of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by facilitating high-impact quality research, tools, resources and knowledge exchange, and supporting a new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers.