This award recognises research in the physical and biological sciences, allowing interdisciplinary and sociocultural research that could straddle the social sciences and humanities, by outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists. It aims to support research, expansion and growth of research networks, and international knowledge exchange through visits to relevant international centres of research.
Mr Jacob Birch is a Gamilaraay man, PhD student at The University of Queensland,
social enterprise entrepreneur, and advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty. This ecosystem of work is undertaken to support the development of the native grains industry. In 2024, Mr Birch completed a Churchill Fellowship, travelling through North America learning about Indigenous food sovereignty, looking for pathways that could be adapted to an Australian context. There he witnessed Indigenous peoples driving systemic change and delivering cascading positive impacts across society. Inspired by the Churchill Fellowship, Mr Birch’s PhD uses a systems thinking approach to co-design interventions with the Gamilaraay community to support the development of the native grains industry as a model of Indigenous food sovereignty. Mr Birch hopes his work will contribute to theoretical and practical examples of the processes, principles and fundamental elements that will enable a more just, equitable and sustainable food system in Australia.
Dr Cas Sedran-Price is a proud Muruwari/Gangugari woman and Senior Research Fellow at the University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney. Her interdisciplinary research explores the connections between Country, culture and health, with a focus on Indigenous-led environmental and public health research. An internationally recognised leader in Indigenous data sovereignty and governance, Dr Sedran-Price is the founder and Director of the Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance Australia. She co-leads national and international initiatives operationalising Indigenous data sovereignty principles, co-chairs the HEAL Network Indigenous Steering Committee and serves as an executive member of the Global Indigenous Data Alliance. She also contributes to the GBIF Indigenous Data Governance Task Force and the development of the CARE Data Maturity Model – work that collectively advances self-determined and equitable data systems for Indigenous peoples globally.
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