The Aurora Foundation has announced a $5.9m investment supporting a First Nations postgraduate scholarship program to assist more Indigenous people to specialising in cancer care.

Funded by the Australian government through the Cancer Australia, the First Nations Cancer Scholarship aims to increase the network of Indigenous people who lead and contribute to cancer control, with First Nations scholars to receive $120,000 per year for up to three years, as well as academic, wellbeing and community support.

Wiradjuri woman and Aurora chief executive, Leila Smith, said putting First Nations scholars and researchers onto the pipeline for success was critical in closing the gap in cancer outcomes for First Nations people nation-wide.

Cancer Australia notes that despite Indigenous Australians only having a slightly higher rate of cancer diagnosis than their non-Indigenous counterparts, they are approximately 40 per cent more likely to die from cancer than non-Indigenous Australians.

"This Scholarship creates opportunities for the best and brightest Indigenous scholars to develop specialist skills and expertise that will strengthen how cancer-related professions lead and contribute to cancer control," Ms Smith said.

"I am excited about the potential of this Scholarship and look forward to the announcement of the successful scholars later this year."

She said Aurora had been championing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars to reach right to the top of the academic sphere for almost 20 years, with the launch of the First Nations Cancer Scholarship an important step in this journey.

Less than one per cent of health professionals are Indigenous in Australia, despite cancer being the number one killer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Cancer Australia chief executive, Professor Dorothy Keefe, said initiatives like the First Nations Cancer Scholarship will play a crucial role in "empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and perspectives in cancer control efforts".

"In partnerships such as our collaboration with Aurora, we can drive innovation, improve cancer outcomes, and ultimately, save lives," Dr Keefe said.

The Indigenous organisation supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to realise their full education and employment potential, with the new scholarship one of Australia's largest to support Indigenous health professionals and researchers complete postgraduate study or research in a cancer-related field.

A previous Aurora scholar, Gija woman Naarah, recently took out the Creative Talent gong at the recent 2024 NAIDOC awards.

To be eligible for the Scholarship, Indigenous students must be undertaking full-time postgraduate study or research in a cancer-related field in health, research, or policy.

They must be also able to demonstrate how their study or research will impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in improving cancer-related outcomes.

Expressions of Interest for the First Nations Cancer Scholarship are now open until 30 August and can be found online.