We are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation working for the health and wellbeing of Australia’s First Peoples through high impact quality research, knowledge translation, and by supporting a new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers. Until June 2020, the Institute hosted the Lowitja Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health CRC (Lowitja Institute CRC), funded by the Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme.
The history of the Lowitja Institute CRC dates back to 1997 when the first CRC for Aboriginal and Tropical Health was established. Established in August 2009, and becoming a Community Controlled Organisation in June 2020, the Lowitja Institute operates on key principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander control of the research agenda, a broader understanding of health that incorporates wellbeing, and the need for the work to have a clear and positive impact. We are an independent voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and we prioritise delivering outcomes that benefit our peoples.
We: •Fund Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led research •support knowledge translation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led research into policy and practice •develop Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research capabilities •advocate on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers