The Centre for Design (CfD), RMIT University is offering three PhD students to undertake a research project "More than a roof overhead: Meeting the Need for a Sustainable Housing System in Remote Indigenous Communities". The research takes a broad, whole-of-system and interdisciplinary approach in research on the delivery and management of remote Indigenous housing, where the key challenge is to design, build and manage housing as an integrated and sustainable system.

ELEANOR HALL: It's a scheme that until now has been operating only on a very small scale but more Indigenous students will soon be given the opportunity to get a top education at boarding schools in the big cities.

The Prime Minister has announced a grant of $20-million to help about 2,000 children attend boarding schools and the Government is encouraging business leaders to join the project and fund even more places.

Simon Santow has our report.

[From the recruiter]

The Ngarara Willim Indigenous Centre is a specialist centre at RMIT University, which through case management approaches provides assistance and support to Indigenous students to enhance achievement of their academic goals and success in their courses/programs.

* CBD location
* Salary between $55,403-$59,972 per annum + super (pro-rata)
* Fixed term opportunity

A young indigenous student has been officially presented with a $30,000 scholarship provided by the NSW Government to help create exciting education and career opportunities in the sport and recreation industry.

Sport and Recreation minister Kevin Greene met with scholarship winner Todd Mackay at the Campbelltown campus of the University of Western Sydney late last week to congratulate him.

“Todd Mackay, a first year undergraduate studying a Bachelor of Health Science here at UWS, will receive $10,000 a year for up to three years of study,” Mr Greene said.

CHARLES Darwin University is setting a new standard for Australian universities with its latest appointment.

Darwin-born Steven Larkin will be the highest-ranking indigenous person in an Australian university when he takes up the position of pro vice-chancellor of indigenous leadership in January next year.

"I'm still somewhat overwhelmed," he said.

"This appointment is history-making."

The position, which is intended to make the university's indigenous studies the best in the nation, is the first of its kind in Australia.

KOORIE Footprints to Higher Education program took out the University Pathways Award at the Wurreker Awards, recently held at the Aboriginal Advancement League in Melbourne.

From small beginnings the program has been growing in momentum and interest within the Koorie community of Gippsland, according to a spokesperson.

The program is run through Federal Government funding acquired by the Gippsland Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies at Monash University, Churchill.

The Australian National University is re-establishing their Diversity Unit, and is hiring for an Indigenous Employment Adviser and a Senior Consultant Diversity and Inclusion.

The House of Representatives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Committee will return to Canberra to hold its next public hearing for its inquiry into Indigenous enterprise development.

In this first public hearing of the spring parliamentary sittings, the Committee will draw on the advice of the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations Anthony Bevan.

[From the DEEWR website]

The Higher Education Endowment Fund will provide funding to Australian higher education institutions for capital expenditure and research facilities. From 2009, the HEEF program will become part of the Education Investment Fund (EIF) announced in the 2008-09 Budget.

More information on the EIF can be found on the EIF page.

2009 Funding Round

The National Union of Students, The University of Sydney SRC and the University of Sydney Koori Centre are hosting a National Indigenous Student Conference.

The conference will be held from July 31st to August 2nd, 2008 at the University of
Sydney.

The main aims of the conference are:
• To provide an opportunity for Australian university Indigenous student representatives to meet face to face
• To provide the basis for strengthening a network of Indigenous students from all Australian universities

The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, today announced his intention to introduce new public funding arrangements that will create additional opportunities for Indigenous Australians pursuing academic
research careers.

“The Australian Government is committed to enhancing support for Indigenous researchers and research to ensure that all talented Australian academics are given a fair go and that all Australians have the opportunity to benefit from their
endeavours,” Senator Carr said.

The Endeavour Research Fellowships for Indigenous Australians provide financial support for Indigenous postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows to undertake short-term research (4-6 months), in any field of study. The research is to be undertaken in participating countries within the Asia/Pacific region and the Middle East.

The Endeavour Research Fellowships for Indigenous Australians aim to:

-enable high achieving indigenous Australian scholars to undertake research in participating countries within the Asia/Pacific region and the Middle East