Developing a National Indigenous Environmental Research Network (NIERN)

Project start date: 01/10/2023
Project end date: 30/11/2025
NESP funding: $476,000 (GST-exclusive)

The development of National Indigenous Environmental Research Network (NIERN) is an Indigenous-led strategic initiative to support Indigenous leadership and participation in biodiversity conservation and environmental management across Australia.

Download the NIERN Summary Report

Download the NIERN Governance Advice

Download the NIERN Business Case

Currently, a lack of investment restricts the meaningful engagement of local Indigenous organisations in the development and implementation of research. Consequently, national environmental research priorities often lack Indigenous place-based research priorities and fail to fulfill the aspiration of Indigenous land management practitioner.

We’re investigating the models to develop an enduring and transformative entity – NIERN – that will promote Indigenous inclusion in biodiversity conservation and environmental management. It will help guide the relationship between Indigenous organisations, researchers, policy-makers and environmental management practitioners. Guided by an Indigenous participant elicitation process, we will make recommendations for investment in the long-term future of NIERN.

This project was conceived and led by Indigenous leaders from research, academia and the Indigenous land and sea management sector. We aim to improve Indigenous-led research outcomes, and in turn, the effectiveness and efficiency of environmental research and monitoring activities undertaken on Country.

Key research areas

To address these challenges, this project is:

• supporting Indigenous environmental research needs and priorities
• enhancing Indigenous-led decision-making in the environmental research and management sectors
• ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes from environmental, cultural and socio-economic research for Indigenous groups and research providers
• offering a cultural authority and integrity entity for NESP and other environmental research providers
• empowering Indigenous Australians to participate in national environmental scientific research, biodiversity conservation and environmental management agendas.