Prizes for projects that practice or preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems Prize honours Indigenous-led projects that benefit communities and solve significant challenges.

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s most prestigious awards for achievements in:

• scientific research and research-based innovation
• the practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems
• excellence in science teaching.

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science expects to award approximately $1.4 million each year (2027, 2028 and 2029), noting the total funding awarded in any year may vary if more than one recipient is awarded a prize, for achievements across 3 prize categories:

• the Science Prizes
• the Science Teaching Prizes
• the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems Prize.

The Knowledge Systems Prize celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led projects that benefit Australian Indigenous peoples, communities or place, and contribute to solving a significant challenge through the practice and preservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems.

Information on the other prizes can be found on the Science page and Science Teaching page.

We particularly encourage the nomination of candidates from diverse backgrounds and of all gender identities.

There are 3 nomination types available for this prize: Individual; Team; and Community Groups.

The prize recipient receives a medallion, lapel pin, award certificate and prize money. Where we award the prize to a team, each member will receive a medallion, lapel pin, award certificate and an equal portion of the prize money. Where we award the prize to a community group (up to 4 representatives), the group will receive a medallion, lapel pin, award certificate and the prize money will be awarded to the community group.

The Minister may approve more than one recipient for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems Prize, subject to the availability of grant funds. We may recognise highly ranked nominees through the awarding of highly commended certificates.

To be eligible for a Knowledge Systems Prize, nominees must:

• be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
• be an individual, a member of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led team (including family groups), or a representative of a community group (see glossary in the grant opportunity guidelines)
• be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia
• not be self-nominated
• not be nominated for more than one prize per year across the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science. Where a nominee is nominated in more than one prize, we will ask the nominee to select a single nomination to pursue at Stage 1
• practice knowledge systems as part of a project with a demonstrable benefit to Australian Indigenous peoples, communities and/or place and to Australia more broadly.

Where a nomination is for a team or a community group, up to 4 nominees may be named per nomination. All nominees must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. For nominations of community groups, the selected nominees will be representatives for the whole community group.

Previous nominees are eligible for renomination. A new nomination must be submitted by a nominator via the online nomination form.

Find out more about the nomination process at Prime Minister’s Prize for Science – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems Prize.