$100,000 boost for Indigenous health research

Thursday, 23 June 2011

Edith Cowan University’s (ECU’s) research into Indigenous health has been strengthened by a $100,000 donation from not-for-profit organisation Bellberry Ltd. The donation will be officially presented at an event at the Mount Lawley Campus today, Friday, 24 June 2011.

The funding has created a new Senior Research Fellow position within Kurongkurl Katitjin, ECU's Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research. Dr Dan McAullay has been appointed to the role.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor John Finlay-Jones welcomed the funding.

“Bellberry Ltd has provided an exceptional stimulus to ECU’s Indigenous research efforts, with intended outcomes of great benefit nationally,” Professor Finlay-Jones said.

Bellberry Chief Executive Officer Imelda Lynch said:

“Bellberry is pleased to provide ongoing support to medical researchers across Australia. The company is particularly excited to support Dr McAullay and research into Indigenous health."

Dr McAullay’s research will focus on:

  • development of Aboriginal Research Protocols to be implemented across ECU and made available nationally;
  • development of an Aboriginal ethics training course for the Human Research Ethics Committee; and
  • ways to encourage primary health care services, especially general practice, to incorporate health promotion interventions into care.

Dr McAullay said the funding will allow him to further develop his research into Indigenous health issues.

“My PhD study examined the contribution primary health care has made to the maternal, infant and child health in WA. With the support from Bellberry and Kurongkurl Katitjin I will be building on this, aiming to improve the ethics and processes of collecting data on Indigenous health and ultimately improving outcomes for Indigenous communities,” Dr McAullay said.

The research will complement the world-class work already being conducted at Kurongkurl Katitjin. The Centre also offers a range of courses to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and as well as providing ongoing support to Indigenous students.

Bellberry Ltd is a national, private not-for-profit organisation based in Adelaide providing human research ethics committee services to the Australian research community

Any surplus funds generated by the activities of the Bellberry committees are donated into the Australian research community, which totals over $2 million since the company's inception in 2004.

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