John Watson and Ron Quinn have been awarded the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering's inaugural Traditional Knowledge Innovation Award, recognising their decades-long gel pain relief project.

Mr Watson, from the Jarlmadangah Burru Aboriginal Community and Professor Quinn AM from Griffith University collaboration first began in 1986, when Mr Watson's finger was bitten off by a crocodile.

"The crocodile came along and took my finger…and I had to get Mudjala to numb it," said Mr Watson.

Utilising the bark of the Mudjala freshwater mangrove tree that the Nyikina people have been using through their tradition and dreamtime stories as a numbing cream, Mr Watson was able to treat his finger.

The encounter with the crocodile and usage of traditional medicine to heal his wound made headlines in the newspaper, catching the eye of Griffith University who wanted to learn more about traditional medicines.

The incident eventually sparked a 30 plus year partnership between the Nyikina Mangala people and Griffith University, aiming to identify the bark's active compounds with Mr Watson and Professor Quinn at the forefront.

"John and I discussed what we could do with that because we had to show that we could follow it in a laboratory," Professor Quinn said.

"I'm just really happy that is't starting to move to acknowledge traditional knowledge and hopefully we can move that forward further."

Mr Watson's son Anthony said the Nyikina Mangala people and Griffith University are hoping their traditntal medicine will be put on the shelves to be used as they stated its ten times stronger than morphine.

The bark from the Mudjala mangrove tree contains two classes of compound: one is effective for inflammatory pain and the other mitigates sciatic nerve injury.

"It also opens up a window for other Indigenous medicine usage to actually hit the market similar to our one, Griffith handed their share back to the community, Anthony Watson said.

By combining centuries of traditional knowledge with western science, the two have discovered a natural remedy for severe pain, which has the potential to improve the lives of countless individuals who suffer from severe pain.

In 2032, Australia will host the Brisbane Olympics and it is on that grander stage that Mr Watson and Professor Quinn are hoping to provide their gel to athletes, offering a natural solution to mange pain and enhance performances.

"We have an aspiration to have this ready for the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032," said Professor Quinn.

"We hope to convince the Therapeutic Goods administration that thousands of years of oral history from Aboriginal people that could come forward to benefit all Australians."

For Mr Watson, winning this award came as a big surprise.

"It's good to hear that...all the work we've done over the years was worth it," said Mr Watson.

Challenger Limited is the inaugural partner for the Traditional Knowledge Innovation Award.