The Indigenous Research Committee is a forum for the development and progression of Indigenous research across UTS. The UTS Indigenous research priorities include:
- increasing Indigenous staff and student research capacity
- increasing Indigenous higher degree by research student enrolment rates
- improving Indigenous higher degree by research student retention and completion rates
- promoting the protection of Indigenous cultural knowledge
- encouraging international Indigenous research links
- ensuring UTS adopts best practice principles and processes in relation to Indigenous research.
The Indigenous Research Committee reports to the Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Strategies Committee.
Contact
Jenny Luong
Senior Governance Support Officer (Electoral Officer)
telephone 02 9514 1235
email Jenny.Luong@uts.edu.au
Committee details
2026 meeting dates
Wednesday 11 March
Thursday 7 May
Friday 3 July
Wednesday 23 September
Time: 9.30am to 11.30am
Composition and membership
| Composition | Membership | Current term |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (Chair) | Professor Kate McGrath | ex officio |
| Associate Dean (Indigenous Research), Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) (Deputy Chair) | Professor Jason De Santolo | ex officio |
| Associate deans (Indigenous), or appropriate senior members of Indigenous academic staff where no Associate Dean (Indigenous) exists | Professor Nareen Young (Business) Treena Clark (Design and Society) Dr Rhett Loban (Engineering and Information Technology) Professor Scott Avery (Health) Associate Professor Marcelle Burns (Law) Professor Bradley Moggridge (Science) Tshinta Morris (TD School) | ex officio |
| Pro Vice-Chancellor (Higher Degree Research), or nominee | Professor Penny Martens | ex officio |
| Director, Jumbunna Research | Professor Lindon Coombes | ex officio |
| Deputy Director, Research Office | Sofia Haidar-Blake | ex officio |
| Chair, UTS Ethics Committee | Professor Prabhu Sivabalan | ex officio |
| University Librarian | Michael Gonzalez | ex officio |
| One associate dean (research), to be appointed by the Chair | TBC | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 |
| Three level A, B, and C Indigenous academic staff, one of which must be an early career researcher, and one of which must be a mid-career researcher, to be appointed by the Chair (in consultation with the Deputy Chair, Indigenous Research Committee) following a call for expressions of interest | Dr Amy Thunig (on leave until July 2025) | 19 February 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
| One Indigenous HDR student to be appointed by the Chair (in consultation with the Deputy Chair, Indigenous Research Committee) following a call for expressions of interest | TBC | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 |
| Manager, Indigenous Employment, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) | Dr Berice Anning | ex officio |
| Co-opted members as deemed appropriate to the progression of Section 4: Indigenous Research of the Indigenous Education Strategy and determined by the Chair | Lachlan McDaniel Professor Robynne Quiggin AO Dr Kirsten Thorpe | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 |
Terms of reference
The Indigenous Research Committee will:
- consider, develop and progress Indigenous research at UTS
- recommend practical initiatives for inclusion into relevant sections of the Indigenous Education and Research Strategy
- coordinate and implement to initiatives aimed at progressing Indigenous research across UTS, and
- provide advice or action as appropriate any relevant matters referred to it by the Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Strategies Committee.
Procedural matters
Term of office
The term of office for a member of the Indigenous Research Committee, other than an ex-officio member, will be 2 years.
Review of membership
The composition and membership of the Indigenous Research Committee will be reviewed periodically by the Chair in accordance with the procedures approved by the Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Strategies Committee and amended from time to time.
Quorum
The quorum shall be one-half of the current members of the committee, if one-half is not a whole number, the next higher whole number shall be used.
Vacant positions on the committee do not count toward the total membership of which one-half is required to reach a quorum.
Number of meetings
The Indigenous Research Committee meets at least twice per year.