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marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri

The Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord

The vision of marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri is to improve the ethical standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical and wellbeing research in Victoria so that they align with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander principles of self-determination. 

For over 35 years, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Victoria have been advocating to have agency over how health, medical and wellbeing research that impacts us, is conducted.

Since colonisation, our people have been subjected to culturally inappropriate and unsafe health and medical research, some of which fails to translate into meaningful benefits for us. Our Community in Victoria has long been attempting to change the way health research is conducted to make it ethical and respect our cultures, knowledges, needs and aspirations.

The Victorian Government finally answered this call in 2018 and took a necessary step by committing to the development of a research accord and provided initial funding for VACCHO to lead its development and initiate implementation. This was undertaken by the Victorian Aboriginal Research Accord Project (VARAP) team under the leadership of Jill Gallagher, AO (HonLLD).

Read marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri here
Why is it important?

marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri: The Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord (hereafter ‘marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri’ or ‘the Accord’), will act as an official agreement between Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Victorian Government, and health and medical Research Organisations in Victoria.

marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri positions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s cultures, worldviews, belief systems, and governance at the centre of the research process. The Accord provides guiding principles and lays out processes to be implemented to improve the ethical standards of health, medical and wellbeing research that impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

What does marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri mean?

The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation was consulted to develop an appropriate and meaningful language name for the Accord. marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri literally translates to: Community Knowledge, Community Health.

This phrase recognises the need to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in research that impacts us, in order to realise health in our communities. It puts forward the vision that our traditional ways of knowing, being and doing, and Aboriginal self-determination in research, are prerequisites to creating positive health outcomes for Community.

What does the Accord aim to do?

The vision of the Accord is to improve the ethical standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical and wellbeing research in Victoria so that they align with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander principles of self-determination.

The objectives sought by the Accord are: 

  • implementing principles of self-determination by increasing rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led research and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in research
  • creating equitable and trusting relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the health, medical and wellbeing research sector
  • enhancing health benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical and wellbeing research priorities that are relevant to and impact positively on Community
  • improving the way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research is conducted in Victoria, for it to become more cognisant of past trauma, respectful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lore and customs and be culturally appropriate
  • empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by actively contributing to research methodologies using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing
  • protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical and wellbeing data, knowledges, practices and knowledge systems provided during research, using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led mechanisms
What are the principles guiding ethical research?

marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri promotes 6 principles that aim to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination in research. These principles complement the guidelines and principles stipulated in the NHMRC and AIATSIS National Guidelines at the local level in Victoria.

  1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership
  2. Trust and Equity
  3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Priorities
  4. Cultural Safety and Humility
  5. Knowledge Equity and Recognition
  6. Data Governance and Sovereignty.
What concrete actions will be taken?

To ensure these principles are translated into practice, the following initiatives are being taken:

  • Instigating institutional reform in research organisations, primarily through their participation in an Accreditation Scheme
  • Establishing an Aboriginal-led Ethics Mechanism to assess the potential impact and risks of research proposals for Community
  • Increasing cultural safety as well as acknowledging and building research capability through the development of strategic initiatives and training programs
  • Establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research(ers) Network to facilitate mentorship, training opportunities and peer collaboration
  • Promoting equitable and cooperative research partnerships between Community and the research sector
  • Advocating towards funding reforms that promote alignment of research funding with Community health priorities and increase funding for Community-led research
  • Developing research translation strategies to increase benefits and accessibility of research findings for Community
  • Assessing the feasibility of establishing a data governance model to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and research data.

marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri, launched in October 2023, is a key action under the Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Partnership Agreement between VACCHO and the Victorian Government. The Partnership Agreement was endorsed by Cabinet in May 2023. You can now contact the Accord Team to discuss your participation in the implementation of the Acord if you are a research organisation that is intending to, or already conducts, health, medical, and wellbeing research that targets, involves or impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.

Achievement of the objectives and vision of marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri requires strong and effective strategic direction, vision, and leadership that is culturally appropriate. Therefore, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Accord Governance Group (AGG) has been set up to govern the stipulated implementation actions, and the evaluation and monitoring of the Accord.

Key Documents
and Further Reading
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APPENDIX A – Victorian Aboriginal Research Accord Project Literature Review

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APPENDIX B – Victorian Aboriginal Research Accord Project National Ethics Review

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APPENDIX C – Focus Groups and Community Conversations Report

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APPENDIX E – Victorian Aboriginal Research Accord Implementation Logic Map

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Victorian Aboriginal Ethics Project Report: A Community Report (Onemda, 2005) 

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We can like research in Koori hands… A Community Report (Onemda, 2007)

Enquiries

For more information on the Victorian Aboriginal Research Accord Project, submit and enquiry form below.

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