Visiting Indigenous Fellowship Guidelines | 2003 Visiting Fellow Visiting Indigenous Fellowship Scheme These guidelines are also available as a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) document. Introduction The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) is committed to maintaining a high level of collaboration and engagement with Indigenous Australians. Indigenous engagement is an important goal outlined in the current CAEPR Strategic Plan. Our Indigenous Engagement Strategy includes a number of strands: The attraction of Indigenous researchers to CAEPR on secondment, The attraction of Indigenous Summer Research Scholars to CAEPR, and The recruitment of Indigenous staff to CAEPR. The Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation and the Westpac Foundation in partnership with the Australian National University has made a significant financial contribution towards the creation of a CAEPR Indigenous Fellowship Scheme. Aims and eligibility The main aim of the Visiting Indigenous Fellowship Scheme is to attract Visiting Indigenous Fellows to collaborate with researchers at CAEPR and to then transfer their newly acquired or further developed research skills and research outcomes back to the community or region for practical application. The scheme will provide opportunities for Indigenous research capacity building and enhanced engagement and collaboration between CAEPR research staff and non-CAEPR Indigenous researchers and leaders. There are no eligibility restrictions in this scheme, however applicants must have an internal mentor/supervisor at CAEPR or be recommended for consideration by either the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation or the Westpac Foundation. It is anticipated that the Scheme may also sponsor some visiting fellows from the regions where CAEPR and Rio Tinto are collaborating on an ARC Linkage Project 'Indigenous community organisations and miners: partnering sustainable regional development'. The period of the fellowship will not exceed three months and the number of fellowships offered within any one year will depend on financial availability. Management The CAEPR Visiting Indigenous Fellowship Scheme is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of: Professor Jon Altman, Director, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Dr John Taylor, Deputy Director, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Mr Paul Wand, Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation The Executive Officer, Westpac Foundation CAEPR's Executive Officer manages the day-to-day coordination of the Visiting Indigenous Fellowship Scheme and is an officio member of the Steering Committee. Funding The precise level of financial support for the Fellowship will be negotiated on an equitable case-by-case basis. The Fellowship will provide support for return travel to Canberra, accommodation and options for stipend depending on the employment status of the fellow. What does CAEPR offer? CAEPR has a track record of collaborating with and mentoring Indigenous researchers. While a high level of community based collaboration has always been a part of CAEPR's culture, with larger staff establishment, better infrastructure and enhanced organisational security, opportunities to host Indigenous researchers at the Centre have increased. CAEPR remains a unique university-based Indigenous policy focused research centre. It has critical mass and an ever-increasing intellectual capital generated by a relatively steady and committed staff establishment; it has a track record and research credibility; and it offers a genuinely multi-disciplinary social sciences research environment. All these features make it an attractive location for Indigenous researchers. Its location at the ANU and Canberra also provide Visiting Indigenous Fellow s opportunities to engage with federal politicians and senior policy makers. Centre Facilities CAEPR is located in the Hanna Neumann Building, which is closely situation to the hub of the Australian National University campus. All visiting fellows are offered excellent office space, administrative and infrastructure support, networked computers, access to our in house library and a collegial environment. CAEPR's expectations Visiting Fellows are expected to participate in the Centre's programs, meet regularly with other staff, commit to an agreed research outcome and participate in CAEPR staff meetings and seminars. The Application Process 1. Contact and liaise with an internal mentor at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation or Westpac Foundation to initiate the development of a research proposal. 2. The research proposal must include: An outline of research, Length of fellowship (2 weeks up to and not exceeding three months), Identify a proposed research outcome ie. Seminar, workshop, journal publication or written report. Include estimated project costs such as details of travel requirements and accommodation needs. Please note that the stipend component of the application will be considered and recommended by the Steering Committee and will depend on the employment status of the fellow. Attach a brief Curriculum Vitae Brief supporting statement from a CAEPR staff member or organisational referee. 3. The application must be submitted to: The Executive Officer Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research The Australian National University CANBERRA ACT 0200 Fax: (02) 6125 9730 E-mail: eo.caepr@anu.edu.au. 4. The application will be forwarded to the steering committee for endorsement. 5. A formal offer will be sent to the applicant from the ANU Human Resources area after endorsement with the funding amounts specified. 6. Please note that there are no deadlines for this scheme, however the number of Visiting Fellowships appointed will depend on the availability of funds from the Endowment arrangement between Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation, the Westpac Foundation and the Australian National University. David Claudie — CAEPR Visiting Indigenous Fellow 2003 Mr David Claudie visited CAEPR from 19 August to 3 September 2003 to conduct a collaborative research project with Dr Ben Smith, 'Reconciling Management on Kaanju Homelands'. David is a Kaanju traditional owner and Chairman of the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation. The homelands of the Kaanju people lie along the Wenlock, Pascoe, Archer and Lockhart River systems in Central Cape York in Queensland. (See the Kaanju ngaachi (homelands) website at www.kaanjungaachi.com.au.) David's objectives as Chairman and Kaanju traditional owner are: the facilitation of homelands development; the reaffirmation of the Kaanju people as primary managers and decision-makers on their homelands; the promotion of the principal that one must live on their homelands in order to have a say in its management: and to ensure the wider recognition and acknowledgement, particularly by government, of the legitimacy of Indigenous governance structures, and systems andmethods of resource use and management. David's visit to CAEPR had two main outcomes: Engagement in wider discussion with academics and government representatives on the objectives outlined above. David's aim is to change policy and programmes to better meet the needs of Aboriginal people on their homelands. A seminar presented with Ben Smith on 27 August 2003 entitled 'Developing a land and resource management framework for Kaanju Homelands, Central Cape York: Opportunities and Challenges. This seminar forms the basis for CAEPR Discussion Paper 256.