Yakuway Indigenous Corporation Proud Partner in $3M Deadly Dreaming Dementia Research Grant
Yakuway Indigenous Corporation is proud to be a partner in Deadly Dreaming: Indigenous-led, Community-driven, and grounded on-Country praxis for healthy ageing — a landmark research project that has been awarded more than $2.8 million dollars by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), in partnership with the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
The grant is part of a broader $22.9 million investment by the Australian Government into dementia research — announced through the Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission — and represents a long-awaited recognition that dementia care for First Nations communities requires its own dedicated, culturally grounded approach.
Dementia is Australia's leading cause of death, and government data shows it impacts First Nations communities at a significantly higher rate than the broader population. Yet systemic barriers to diagnosis, care and support have long meant that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders are underserved by existing models — models built without their voices, values, or ways of knowing at the centre.
Deadly Dreaming takes a different path. Rather than placing the burden of health outcomes solely on individuals, the project centres cultural reconnection, truth-telling and community-driven reform, grounded on Country. It recognises that for our Elders, wellbeing is inseparable from Country, from kin, and from the continuity of intergenerational knowledge.
"It is about restoring cultural authority to our Elders… Their stories, their wisdom, and their connection to Country are central to how we understand ageing and wellbeing through our relationship and connection to each other and Country.”
— Dr Jennifer Rumbel, Gamilaraay woman, Chief Investigator, University of Newcastle
A Holistic, Cutting-Edge Approach
The project brings together a holistic focus on cultural and spiritual strengths with access to cutting-edge imaging facilities — combining the depth of on-Country knowledge with world-class scientific expertise. It will establish a digital Yarnin Library, a community-owned platform designed for cultural continuity and knowledge exchange across Awabakal, Worimi, Wonnarua and Anaiwan Country.
PhD candidate pathways and research methodology grounded in Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) principles are woven through every component of the project, ensuring that knowledge created belongs to and grows with the communities it comes from.
Thank You to Our Partners
- University of Newcastle
- Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)
- Hunter Primary Care
- Elders Advisory Group
- The Wollotuka Institute
- National Imaging Facility
Chief Investigator Dr Jennifer Rumbel — a Gamilaraay woman and researcher at the University of Newcastle — leads the project alongside Associate Investigator Dr Guy Cameron and Lilly Langford. An Elders Advisory Group including Aunty Sandra, Aunty Cheryl Newton, and Uncle Paul provides essential cultural guidance, with community champions including Malcolm Smith and Edward Smith ensuring the work remains genuinely community-driven.
A Broader Moment for Dementia Research
The Deadly Dreaming grant sits within a significant national investment. The Government's Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission is investing $185 million to support research enabling older Australians to maintain health and quality of life, live independently for longer, and access quality care when needed.
Projects like this represent a generation of research meeting Australians where they are — in their communities, their cultures, and on Country.
"Dementia is the leading cause of death in Australia — making action more important than ever. Research is key. Up to 45% of cases globally can be avoided or delayed through modifiable risk factors." — Minister Butler
What Comes Next
For Yakuway, this grant is just the beginning of work we have long known was needed. It is an opportunity to provide a platform for our Elders and Community to share story, engage in truth telling, and collectively guide a future where healthy ageing for First Nations peoples is supported by both cultural strength and scientific understanding.
We are deeply grateful to every person who has walked this journey to this point, and we look forward to sharing more about the project's progress as the work unfolds on Country.
---
For enquiries about the Deadly Dreaming project, contact Yakuway Indigenous Corporation. Further information on the Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission grants round is available via the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.