Batchelor Institute logo
Acknowledgement of country

Batchelor Institute would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sovereign people of the lands on which our campuses are located. As we share our knowledge, teaching and learning and engage in research practices within this Institution and/or conduct business with a variety of external agencies and organisations, we must always pay respect to the sovereign status of our hosts. May their Ancestors always be remembered and honoured, their Elders listened to and respected, all members treated with dignity and fairness — in the present and well into the future.

We also acknowledge and pay respect to the knowledge embedded forever with our hosts, custodianship of country and the binding relationship they have with the land. Batchelor Institute extends this acknowledgment and expression of respect to all sovereign custodians — past, present and emerging. By expressing Acknowledgement of Country we encourage all to extend and practice respect to all First Nations people wherever their lands are located.

Please read this important information
It is a condition of use of the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education website that users ensure that any disclosure of the information contained in the website is consistent with the views and sensitivities of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This includes:
Language
Users are warned that there may be words and descriptions which may be culturally sensitive and which might not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. Terms and annotations, which reflect the author’s attitude or that of the period in which the item was written, may be considered inappropriate today in some circumstances.
Deceased persons
Users of the website should be aware that, in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, seeing images of deceased persons in photographs, film and books or hearing them in recordings may cause sadness or distress and in some cases, offend against strongly held cultural prohibitions.
Access conditions
Materials included in this website may be subject to access conditions imposed by Indigenous communities and/or depositors. Users are advised that access to some materials may be subject to these terms and conditions which the Institute is required to maintain
Application details
Position No.

.pdf, .doc, .docx maxiumum file size 8mb

Thank you for your application

Our Batchelor Institute team will get back to you shortly.

Inter-Library loan form
4 characters left

Item

Single article/chapter

Single article/chapter

I hereby request you to make and supply me with a copy of the article or extract listed on this application, which I require for the purpose of research or study. I have not previously been supplied with a copy of the said article or extract by a librarian. I have undertaken that is a copy is supplied to me, I will not use it except for the purposes of research or study.

Thank you for your application

Our Batchelor Institute team will get back to you shortly.

Send your enquiry and a Batchelor team member will get back to you shortly
Thank you for contacting us

Our Batchelor Institute team will get back to you shortly.

Search
Batchelor Institute Secures MRFF Funding
Home Batchelor Institute Secures MRFF Funding
10 September 2025
4 minute read

Media Release

Batchelor Institute Secures Nearly $1 Million in MRFF Funding to Tackle Suicide in Central Australian First Nations Communities

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education is proud to announce its research team has been awarded its first-ever Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant, securing $992,379.21 over two years to lead groundbreaking research into suicide prevention and postvention in First Nations communities across Central Australia. This landmark achievement underscores Batchelor Institute’s commitment to delivering transformative education and research that privileges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and responds to community needs.

Led by Dr Judith Lovell, Academic Program Leader at Batchelor Institute’s Graduate School, and supported by A/Professor Kathryn Gilbey, the project titled Community Participatory Research for Postvention in Central Australia will focus on reducing the alarmingly high suicide rates in the interconnected regional hubs of Alice Springs (NT), Tennant Creek (NT), and Mount Isa (QLD). These communities, which experience suicide rates five times the national average, are united by strong kinship ties and shared cultural strengths—elements this research will harness to create sustainable change.

The two-year study, funded under the 2024 MRFF Mental Health Research Stream 3 (Topic B), aims to generate new knowledge on optimal suicide postvention strategies—interventions designed to support those at risk following a suicide. By employing a collaborative, community-driven approach, the research team will work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to map cultural, community, and clinical assets, integrate traditional healing practices, and strengthen culturally responsive healthcare. The result will be a place-based, strength-based model of postvention to mitigate the devastating impact of suicide and suicide clusters on individuals, families, and communities.

“This funding is a testament to the power of Indigenous-led research and the trust placed in our team to tackle a critical health challenge in Central Australia,” said Dr Judith Lovell, Chief Investigator. “By working with communities to centre the wisdom of Elders, their rich diversity, and the strength of their culture, we’re building a response that heals and endures.”

Professor Kathryn Gilbey, a proud Alyawarre woman with deep ties to the study region, added, “This is a historic moment for Batchelor Institute and a vital step towards reducing the burden of suicide in Central Australia. Our approach respects and elevates First Nations voices, ensuring solutions come from within our communities.”

The research team brings together a wealth of expertise, including Associate Professor Michael Halloran (La Trobe University), Professor Tracey Bunda (The University of Queensland), Theresa Alice, Erin Reilly, and Lukas Williams, alongside community collaborators, clinical and cultural experts. Their collective efforts will focus on fostering innovation that can be sustained as “wraparound” responses—holistic, ongoing support systems tailored to the unique needs of these communities.

Batchelor Institute congratulates Dr Lovell, Professor Gilbey, and the entire research team on this significant achievement. This MRFF grant marks a milestone in the Institute’s purpose to provide transformative education and research centred on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, delivering outcomes that are accountable to Country and community.