TTRA Announces Indigenous-Specific Priority Research Areas for Third Round Projects

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16 December 2022

Artwork used in image above by Ngarrindjeri artist, Jordan Lovegrove, shows the growing ripple effect that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led research has on health and wellbeing. See 'More about the artwork' below.

MTPConnect is pleased to announce the three priority areas for an upcoming round of funding under the Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) initiative focused on addressing unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional and urban centres.

The third and final round of TTRA Research Projects, which will open early in the new year, has been designed to deliver benefit for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In developing the guidelines for the round, MTPConnect has partnered with the Lowitja Institute, ensuring the voices of Indigenous communities have been centred in every aspect of the process of determining the Indigenous-specific priority areas.

To be eligible for funding, Research Projects must develop innovative preventative, diagnostic, therapeutic and/or disease management products, services and/or models of care for diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease (D&CVD) to address one of the following priority areas:

Priority 1: Strengths-based perspectives to chronic disease – a need to adopt a strengths-based perspective to chronic disease, which builds and develops the existing strengths, skills and capacities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Priority 2: Culturally safe programs and supports – development of culturally safe programs and supports for D&CVD prevention and promotion of 'healthy lifestyles' among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, using empowering, evidence-based, health promotion campaigns.

Priority 3: Culturally safe strategies to address cardiometabolic disease – culturally safe strategies to address cardiometabolic disease / risk factors to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women prior to and during pregnancy. This should also include a focus on babies through the life course, including management of women with pre-existing and gestational diabetes.

MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam said these priority areas will enable health service innovations that support holistic approaches to prevention and management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“We know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are significantly more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease than the wider population and through this round we’ll be able to direct substantial funding to help address these inequities,” Mr Dignam said.

“MTPConnect and our program partners are deeply committed to making this program count for Indigenous communities living with diabetes and cardiovascular disease and we thank both the Lowitja Institute for its outstanding leadership of the prioritisation process and the members of the TTRA Indigenous Advisory Group for their wisdom and guidance.”

Ahead of Round Three opening on 30 January 2023, the Funding Guidelines are now available on the MTPConnect website and include information on the application process, project eligibility and selection criteria.

More about the artwork featured above:

The artwork by Ngarrindjeri artist, Jordan Lovegrove, shows the growing ripple effect that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led research has on health and wellbeing. The big meeting place in the centre represents Lowitja Institute and MTPConnect. The smaller coloured meeting places connected by footprints that surround it represents our connection and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and other partners. The other small meeting places with pathways between, represent the communities that this research positively impacts. MTPConnect is pleased to licence this artwork from Lowitja Institute for the purposes of promoting TTRA Round 3 activities.