Project Leader - Indigenous Science & Biological Collections (Identified Role - Indigenous)

Updated: about 8 hours ago

  • Leverage your passion for Indigenous Science and environmental research in an impactful role
  • Be a leading voice in acknowledging the value of Indigenous science and knowledge systems
  • Make a lasting change in CSIRO's commitment to improve collaborations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 

At CSIRO's NCMI (National Collections and Marine Infrastructure business unit) our goal is to solve Australia’s greatest challenges by leading Australia’s landmark marine and biodiversity infrastructure and carrying out innovative science.

At NCMI, we are custodians of the National Research Collections Australia (NRCA) which is home to 15 million natural history specimens that are used to understand Australia’s rich biodiversity.  We also host the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), a collaborative, digital, open infrastructure that pulls together Australian biodiversity data from multiple sources (including NRCA), making it accessible and reusable. The collections, their associated digital infrastructure and the ALA, help to create a more detailed picture of Australia’s biodiversity for scientists, policy makers, environmental planners and land managers, industry and the general public.

As the Project Leader for Indigenous Science & Biological Collections, you will help NCMI embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and views within CSIRO’s National Research Collections and the Atlas of Living Australia.
You will establish and undertake a co-design process with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reference group to identify areas of mutual benefit and build opportunities for co-designed and Indigenous-led science.
You will contribute to establishing trusted relationships with Indigenous cultural knowledge holders, Indigenous organisations and relevant Australian initiatives, including ones related to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.  

The project will review our policies and practices for the management and use of biological specimens and associated data, to identify any gaps in relation to CSIRO and national policies and international agreements. 


This is an opportunity to lead our step change to acknowledge the value of Indigenous science and knowledge systems and contribute to new ways of working and research. This work will contribute to CSIRO’s commitment to improve collaborations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in transforming the Australian science landscape, towards a future innovation system, in which Indigenous science, governance, cultural knowledge and practice are acknowledged and interwoven with western science.



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