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| Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research |
| Established | 1988 |
| Type | Research centre |
| Affiliation | Australian National University |
| Location | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research
The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research is an Australian research centre based at the Australian National University focused on policies affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It engages with indigenous leaders, federal agencies, academic institutions and international bodies to produce evidence informing policy debates in Australia and comparable jurisdictions such as Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. The centre operates within a network of universities, think tanks, and community organisations across the Asia-Pacific, drawing on collaborations with scholars linked to museums, courts, and commissions.
Founded in 1988 within the Australian National University, the centre emerged amid national discussions involving the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) decision era, and policy shifts under the Hawke Ministry and the Keating Government. Early activities intersected with inquiries by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and research agendas shared with the Lowitja Institute, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and the Productivity Commission. The centre built ties with international entities including the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the World Bank, and universities such as the University of Toronto, the University of Auckland, and the Harvard Kennedy School.
The centre's mission aligns with objectives promoted by indigenous advocates from the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, leaders like Mick Dodson and Pat Dodson, and legal reforms influenced by decisions such as Native Title Act 1993. It aims to produce applied research supporting policy reforms in areas affected by legislation including the Native Title Act 1993, welfare reform initiatives debated in the Parliament of Australia, and inquiries like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Objectives include informing inquiries led by bodies such as the Australian Law Reform Commission, supporting commissioners in the Australian Human Rights Commission, and contributing evidence used by ministers in the Cabinet of Australia.
The centre conducts programs addressing land tenure and rights discussions tied to Mabo v Queensland (No 2), economic development projects relevant to the Northern Territory Intervention, and social policy intersecting with services from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Social Services. Research areas include native title economics linked to the Native Title Act 1993, housing policy analyses relevant to the Northern Land Council and Central Land Council, education outcomes examined alongside the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, and health policy evaluated with stakeholders like the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the World Health Organization. Programs examine workforce participation in contexts shaped by instruments such as the Closing the Gap framework and evaluate community governance models observed in case studies involving the Tiwi Islands and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
Governance structures reflect affiliation with the Australian National University and oversight mechanisms interacting with funding bodies such as the Australian Research Council, philanthropic organisations like the Lowitja Institute, and international funders including the International Development Research Centre. The centre receives grants tied to competitive schemes administered by the Australian Research Council and research agreements negotiated with agencies such as the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Health, and the Treasury (Australia). Board and advisory arrangements have involved elders, legal scholars from the ANU College of Law, and economists affiliated with the Centre for Economic Policy Research or the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling.
The centre publishes monographs, working papers, policy briefs and peer-reviewed articles cited in reports from the Productivity Commission, submissions to the Australian Parliament and testimonies before the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs. Outputs have informed landmark inquiries like the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and policy frameworks such as the Closing the Gap reports produced by the Council of Australian Governments. Publications have been discussed in media outlets including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Sydney Morning Herald, and referenced by international bodies such as the United Nations and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The centre maintains partnerships with community-controlled organisations including the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, state land councils like the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and educational institutions such as the Charles Darwin University and the University of Melbourne. Engagement extends to collaborative projects with the Lowitja Institute, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and international research groups at the University of British Columbia and the University of Otago. Community engagement practices involve joint research protocols with elders and representative bodies such as the National Indigenous Australians Agency and participation in national forums convened by the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples.
Notable researchers and alumni include academics and practitioners who have contributed to indigenous policy: legal scholars who have engaged with Mabo v Queensland (No 2), economists who have worked with the Productivity Commission, and public intellectuals who have advised ministers in the Cabinet of Australia. Alumni have taken roles in institutions such as the Lowitja Institute, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, the National Indigenous Australians Agency, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and universities including the University of Sydney, the Monash University, and the University of Queensland. Prominent contributors have participated in international conferences of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and served on panels convened by the World Bank and the International Labour Organization.
Category:Research institutes in Australia Category:Indigenous Australian organisations Category:Australian National University