2026 Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow
UTS has unveiled the recipient of the UTS Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellowship (CIRF) for 2026, spotlighting one outstanding researcher set to tackle some of today’s most complex challenges.
Dr Callum Clayton-Dixon is working to revive the traditional Anaiwan language by mapping, deciphering and re-learning traditional place names across southern New England.
UTS Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Distinguished Professor Alaina Ammit, expressed her enthusiasm for the Chancellor’s Research Fellowship cohort of 2026.
“I am truly excited to see such a diverse and passionate group join our institution. These fellows are not only pioneering research in their respective fields but are also contributing significantly to addressing global challenges,” she said.
“At UTS, we pride ourselves on undertaking world-class research that delivers economic, social, and cultural prosperity in the communities where we live and work.
“The work of this cohort epitomises the forward-thinking, innovative spirit we champion at UTS.”
Each fellow receives a four-year contract appointment, project funding of up to $50,000, and a suite of additional support to advance their research.
Find out more about past Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellows.
Dr Callum Clayton-Dixon
Project: Kyūna Wangana, Kyūna Uyina – ‘Understanding Country, Speaking Country’: Reclaiming Lingo From Place
Summary: Dr Callum Clayton-Dixon’s project, Kyūna Wangana, Kyūna Uyina – ‘Understanding Country, Speaking Country’, aims to take Anēwan language revitalisation into its next stage through the mapping, deciphering, and (re)learning of traditional place names across the high-country of southern New England. By reconnecting names to their places, meanings, and cultural contexts, the project will regenerate suppressed knowledge systems and re-establish foundations for future generations to speak, sing, and understand Country through language rooted in place-based knowledge and tradition.
Sponsor: Professor Jason De Santolo