Doug is helping Indigenous communities rewrite the rules of engagement
A lifechanging career shift
A lifechanging career shift has inspired CQUniversity First Nations staff member and researcher Doug Harris to pursue a PhD while helping Indigenous communities reshape the way government, industry and researchers engage with them.
As a Project Officer with CQUniversity’s Jawun Research Institute, Doug works alongside First Nations communities to ensure research is led by community priorities, aspirations and knowledge.
Supporting research efforts that empowers communities to direct research and retain ownership of their stories has helped to inspire Doug’s own research journey, leading him to enrol in CQUniversity’s Graduate Certificate in Research.
Having now graduated, Doug said completing the qualification was more than an academic milestone.
"It really reaffirmed that I'm in the right space, with the right people, doing work that matters," he said.
“When I graduated, I had my wife and extended family, my team including Associate Professor Dr Kylie Radel and Senior Research Fellow Dr Vicki Pascoe, my supervisors Professor Janya McCalman, Dr Melinda Mann and Dr Adam Rose, the team from the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, and community members including Yuwibara Elders Uncle Phillip Kemp and Auntie Deb Clark, along with many others, celebrating with me in person and online,” he said.
“To have all those people supporting me and sharing that moment was incredibly special. The support around me has been phenomenal.
"The conversations I've had since graduation, the people who've reached out and the Elders who've told me to keep going have only inspired me further. It's why I'm now looking ahead to a PhD."
Supported through the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and CQUniversity First Nations Tertiary Education and Research Partnership, Doug’s community-led research is supporting First Nations communities across regional Queensland.
Doug's own pathway into research was anything but traditional.
After spending years working in mining and rail, he transitioned into the role of Indigenous Student Engagement Officer at CQU, before moving into research, where he found a role that aligned with both his values and identity.
"What I'm doing now allows me to be me," he said.
"It's really powerful to be in a space where I can be open about my culture, spirituality and identity, while doing work that benefits community."
Studying with community
Through his studies, Doug has focused on developing community-led engagement guidelines and protocols to help government agencies and industry engage more effectively with First Nations communities.
The project is being developed with communities themselves and captures their expectations, aspirations, barriers and definitions of effective engagement.
Doug said the work aims to address a long-standing challenge in research and engagement practice.
"Too often people come into communities believing they already know what is needed," he said.
"Every community is different, with different priorities, aspirations and cultural considerations. These resources help organisations understand those things before they even pick up the phone or send an email."
The project aligns with the Jawun Research Institute's commitment to community-led research, ensuring First Nations voices remain at the centre of research design, implementation and outcomes.
"Research hasn't always been kind to First Nations people," he said.
" We're moving from being the studied to being the studier. Communities are telling their own stories and deciding what matters to them. That's incredibly powerful."
Go for it
Doug now hopes to build on his current work by completing doctoral studies and supporting more communities to develop their own engagement frameworks and research priorities.
His message for other First Nations people considering research is simple.
"Jump. Do it," he said.
"Put your supports in place, talk to your supervisors and use the support services around you. Take your family on that walk with you.”
"If you find something you love and you're passionate about, go for it."
You can find out more about how to embark on a community-led research journey like Doug’s by visiting CQUniversity’s Graduate Certificate in Research page.
