Celebrating 25 Years of Regional NRM
The 9th National Natural Resource Management Knowledge Conference, held September 8–12 in Cairns, marked a significant milestone, 25 years since Australia adopted the regional natural&...
The Centre for Indigenous Environmental histories and Futures (CIEHF) recently released their Project Implementation Workbook and Project Implementation Guide, now available for download via the Resources page on their website.
Developed specifically to support researchers working within the Centre, these resources offer a framework for initiating and managing projects in alignment with CIEHF’s commitment to authentic, co-designed research with Indigenous Partner Organisations. Designed as living documents, the Guide and Workbook aim to uphold the highest standards of ethical research, placing relationships and reciprocity at the centre of our project work.
Importantly, while these tools were created for use within CIEHF, they believe it offers valuable guidance for anyone planning research on Country. Hence why they have made them publicly available—to help foster best practice across broader research contexts where co-design with Indigenous communities is central.
The Guide and Workbook draws from a wide range of foundational sources, including:
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN General Assembly, 2007)
• Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Communique (2018)
• The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (CBD, 2014)
• Three Category Approach: Researcher Workbook (National Environmental Science Program, 2024)
• AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020a)
• A Guide to Applying the AIATSIS Code of Ethics (2020b)
• NHMRC’s Guide to the Responsible Conduct of Research (2019)
• Gunditj Mirring TOAC’s Research Principles and Guidelines (2022)
• Community partnerships are fundamental to ethical ancient DNA research (Kowal et al., 2023)
This is not a compliance tool, but a practical and culturally attuned guide for collaborative project management. We encourage all researchers working on Country to explore and use these resources as part of a wider commitment to genuine partnership and shared knowledge creation.
November 2025