Ten Indigenous-led projects have received grants totalling $2.3 million under the inaugural round of the Guiding Local Opportunities for Wellbeing (GLOWS) Indigenous Health Grant program.
The GLOWS initiative is a three-year, $4.4 million partnership between the Lowitja Institute and Gilead Sciences to support Indigenous-led solutions addressing HIV and viral hepatitis.
The program is designed to build health equity by funding community-controlled research, knowledge-sharing events, and training for early-career researchers in Indigenous communities across the country.
Ngarabul woman and Lowitja Institute Executive Manager of Policy and Consulting Rosemary Smith said the initiative responds to community needs by investing directly in Indigenous workforce development and service delivery.
"GLOWS gives us two things our communities have asked for," she said.
"First, it builds a pipeline of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and practitioners who can walk with our peoples on the journey to eliminate HIV and viral hepatitis.
"Second, it directs funds straight to community-controlled organisations so they can design and deliver the care models that work for our mob."
Two major $800,000 grants were each awarded to the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and its partners, ATSICHS and the University of Queensland, to trial a community-controlled outreach model for hepatitis C elimination in South East Queensland.
A separate University of Queensland-led project will work with ACCHOs to redesign HIV and viral hepatitis care systems across testing, diagnosis, and long-term treatment.
A $300,000 medium research grant was awarded to Danila Dilba Health Service and the Menzies School of Health Research to improve the hepatitis B cascade of care in Darwin's Top End.
Two national gathering grants of up to $150,000 each were awarded to collaborative projects led by VACCHO and Burnet Institute, and the Anwernekenhe National HIV Alliance with Health Equity Matters.
These projects will host national forums focused on skills-sharing, tackling stigma, and strengthening the Indigenous health workforce.
Five public health scholarships were also awarded to emerging Indigenous leaders from UNSW, University of Queensland, University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University.
Ms Smith said the selected projects demonstrated strong community leadership and practical approaches rooted in culture and evidence.
"The projects chosen for this first round highlight the depth and expertise within our communities," she said.
"Each recipient is charting a practical path to elimination while growing our own workforce of Indigenous researchers and clinicians."
Despite growing Indigenous leadership in the national response, health inequities remain.
HIV notifications are 1.3 times higher for Indigenous Australians.
Hepatitis C rates are 4.5 times higher, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 19 per cent of Australian-born people with chronic hepatitis B.
Gilead Sciences Australia Senior Country Medical Director, Dr Paul Slade, said the grants reflect a commitment to reconciliation through meaningful action.
"By listening first and putting resources and decision-making power in the hands of Indigenous peoples and organisations, we are following their lead in tackling HIV and viral hepatitis," Dr Slade said.
"We are proud to partner with Lowitja Institute, backing community-designed research and care models. Congratulations to every inaugural GLOWS recipient."
