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
Thursday 2 July
Wednesday 23 September
Time: 9.30am to 11.30am (except 11 March which will be from 2pm to 4pm)
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) TBC (Design and Society) Dr Rhett Loban (Engineering and Information Technology) Professor Scott Avery (Health) Associate Professor Marcelle Burns (Law) Professor Bradley Moggridge (Science) | ex officio |
| Pro Vice-Chancellor (Higher Degree by 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 | Distinguished Professor Shaunagh Dorsett | 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 | 19 February 2024 to 1 July 2026 |
| 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.