NSW Funds Aboriginal-Led Heart Research to Address Cardiovascular Health Gaps
The NSW Government has awarded funding to nine Aboriginal researchers for three-year projects aimed at improving cardiovascular health outcomes for Aboriginal communities. Delivered through the Aboriginal Heart Health Grant program, the funding supports community-led research designed with local knowledge and priorities at its core. The grants form part of a broader effort to address the disproportionately high burden of heart disease experienced by Aboriginal people across New South Wales, as outlined in the official ministerial release.
Among the successful recipients is Belinda Field and her team at Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services on the Central Coast. Their Walk Strong Project, developed in close consultation with Darkinjung Community members, will focus on culturally responsive education and exercise to address peripheral artery disease. The project has received a grant of A$750,000, reflecting the program’s emphasis on locally designed interventions grounded in lived experience.
Targeting a Persistent Cardiovascular Health Gap
Cardiovascular disease encompasses a range of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels and continues to have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal people. Rates are 2.4 times higher than among non-Indigenous Australians, with onset occurring, on average, more than a decade earlier. Despite some overall improvements, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Aboriginal people.
The funded projects are designed to ensure research consultation and co-design remain central, aligning outcomes with Aboriginal cultural values, community priorities and local strengths. This approach mirrors broader public-sector interest in evidence-based and community-informed health research, including non-invasive monitoring initiatives such as those seen in environmental and population health studies.
Two Funding Streams Supporting Different Research Stages
The Aboriginal Heart Health Grant program is delivered through two funding streams to support both implementation and early-stage research. One stream provides up to A$750,000 for new cardiovascular interventions identified through extensive consultation with local communities. A second stream offers up to A$250,000 for developmental research, enabling communities to identify needs, better understand causes and shape potential solutions.
Successful projects are based in metropolitan Sydney and regional centres including Mardi, Kempsey, Newcastle, Griffith and Bathurst. Collectively, they cover a wide range of approaches, from integrated models of care to culturally grounded healthy ageing and storytelling-based participatory research.
Building Aboriginal-Led Research Capability
“Heart disease continues to have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal communities and I am proud to be part of a Government that is making this major investment in targeted research funding to support Aboriginal-led solutions to close this unacceptable gap.” — David Harris, Minister for Medical Research and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty
The grants are part of the NSW Government’s Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program, a A$150 million investment over 10 years to improve cardiovascular health outcomes statewide. The emphasis on Aboriginal-led research reflects wider government efforts to strengthen governance, accountability and ethical practice in public-sector initiatives, similar to principles outlined in Australia’s updated policy approaches to responsible innovation.
“This NSW Government investment puts Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services at the forefront of elevating community knowledge and self-determination.” — Belinda Field, CEO, Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services
Strategy and Operations Manager Paul Hussein said the Walk Strong Project responds directly to community priorities, particularly the prevention and management of foot disease linked to peripheral artery disease. The project will use Aboriginal-led design and participatory action research to develop and evaluate a community-led exercise and education program tailored to local needs.
