National Close the Gap Day is observed annually on the third Thursday of March, falling on March 19 this year, and advocates for health equity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
CSIRO's Indigenous Science and Engagement (IS&E) Office has been selected by the Productivity Commission as one of four national case studies demonstrating how government organisations are changing the way they work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The recognition forms part of the Productivity Commission's work monitoring the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which commits governments and organisations to new ways of working in genuine partnership with Indigenous Australia.
Supporting systemic change
Under the 2020 National Agreement on Closing the Gap , governments have committed to four Priority Reform areas designed to address systemic inequality.
One of these areas, Priority Reform Three: Transforming Government Organisations, focuses on ensuring government agencies change the way they operate so they are more accountable, culturally safe and responsive to the needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
CSIRO's IS&E Office was selected as a national case study demonstrating how this reform can be put into practice.
Recognising CSIRO's approach
The case study highlights how CSIRO is embedding Indigenous leadership, governance and engagement across the organisation to support more culturally informed and community-focused research.
Key elements recognised in the case study include:
- Embedding Indigenous leadership and governance at organisational, program and project levels.
- Creating pathways to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent and increase representation across research and development.
- Enabling genuine co-design of research by working with communities without pre-set solutions.
- Embedding principles such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) throughout research activities.
Together, these approaches help ensure research partnerships reflect the priorities, knowledge and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. You can read the full case studies at www.pc.gov.au/PR3 .
CSIRO also tracks and reports its contributions through the CSIRO Annual Report and independent Indigenous-led evaluations. This ensures these efforts are accountable and transparent, helping us to measure impact, share progress externally and continuously strengthen programs to align with national priorities.
Tracking progress and evaluating impact
A series of Indigenous-led evaluations, conducted over the past four years, highlights both progress and opportunities to strengthen how CSIRO contributes to Closing the Gap.
Evaluations of the CSIRO Indigenous Research Grants (IRG) Program across its first three years found the program strongly aligns with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural protocols and rights, demonstrating best practice in Indigenous-led research.
A key strength of the program is its early-stage planning and engagement grants, which enable time for relationship building and community-led project design before research begins. Indigenous governance and data sovereignty are also embedded from the outset.
Many of these projects, including those focused on Caring for Country, biodiversity and community health, demonstrate how Indigenous-led research contributes to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, while also delivering broader environmental and public health benefits for Australia.
The evaluations found the program is helping build capability among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and is influencing how research is conducted across the organisation. All three reviews recommended that this work, supporting Indigenous science and research priorities, be continued.
CSIRO's Indigenous Graduate Program also created new career pathways into science and research for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates. Evaluations found graduates valued the culturally safe recruitment process, supportive induction and opportunities to contribute to diverse research projects.
More broadly, the IS&E Office has helped shift Indigenous engagement at CSIRO from individual or ad hoc activities to a more coordinated and strategic approach.
This includes establishing Indigenous research grants, graduate pathways, strengthened governance structures, expanded partnerships with communities and cultural capability initiatives across the organisation.
Continuing the journey
While these evaluations highlight strong progress, they also reinforce that transformation takes time and sustained commitment.
Reviews note the importance of continuing to embed Indigenous leadership, strengthen organisational accountability and ensure long-term sustainability for programs that support Closing the Gap outcomes. Critically, long-term funding, workforce stability and whole-of-organisation integration are essential.
Dr Chris Bourke, a Gamilaroi man and Director of CSIRO Indigenous Science and Engagement, said that addressing these factors is key to realising Indigenous-led science and fulfilling CSIRO's commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
"The progress we're seeing reflects the commitment of many people across CSIRO, the strong Indigenous voices within the organisation and the partnerships we're building with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Continuing this work means ensuring it's sustainable long-term and that Indigenous knowledge, leadership and priorities are embedded in how we do science, to deliver outcomes for both the nation and the communities that we serve."
