Gamilaroi man and University of Queensland PhD candidate Jacob Birch is working to return native grains to Queensland's grasslands, many of which have become locally extinct.

Mr Birch was inspired by his Churchill Fellowship, where he studied Indigenous food systems in North America.

He is now collecting seed for a trial crop to be planted at UQ's Gatton campus later this year.

"Some of these grasses can no longer be found on Country," Mr Birch said.

"Grasslands in general are critically endangered in a lot of regions across Australia."

The project will involve species native to Gamilaroi Country in southern Queensland and north-western New South Wales, and to Gateebul territory in South East Queensland.

It will be led in partnership with Gamilaroi and Yuggera families.

Mr Birch said the trial crop will be grown under the governance of both mobs, using seed sourced from Gamilaroi Country.

The land has been made available by stakeholders at the Gatton farm, with support from Indigenous engagement staff at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation and UQ's Faculty of Science.

"This project has not been funded, so we'll be relying on the generosity of volunteers and farm staff," Mr Birch said.

A formal proposal has been developed for a broader native grain seed collection and production program, pending further support.

Mr Birch said collaboration between Gamilaroi and Yuggera people is key to the project's significance.

"It's all about strategic governance, nation-building stuff," he said.

"This is very important for thinking about the future, working together to achieve joint aspirations but also rebuilding those networks."

Mr Birch said he is drawing inspiration from Native American-led food sovereignty movements.

"Some US Indigenous communities have become regional economic powerhouses, creating food systems and flipping the dominant agricultural system of economic profit," he said.

"They've managed to increase their life expectancy to exceed the national average by eating their own locally grown and processed native and commercial foods."

He said native grains could open new opportunities for Indigenous Australians.

"Native grains may not feed the world, but it's about setting a different way of doing business in the food and agriculture space," he said.

"It could be the door we walk through into a bigger opportunity."