Indigenous Research Committee

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• 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) Dr Mary Spiers-Williams (acting) (Law) (Associate Professor Marcelle Burns on PEP leave (1 July to 30 December 2026)) 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	Gemma Sentence Dr Callum Clayton-Dixon	25 August 2026 to 31 December 2027
  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	Matilda Slater-Philips	25 August 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.