The Bicycle Film Festival is an annual, curated film festival focused on sharing a range of new bike films. Each festival offering is unique, and the films included are selected from submission and the final collection are then toured internationally to sell out crowds.
Brendt Barbur is the Founding Festival Director. He was inspired to create this event in 2001 after a traffic accident while cycling in New York City.
The Bicycle Film Festival is a platform to celebrate the bicycle through various forms of artistic expression, including music, art, and, notably, film and has significantly propelled the urban bike movement as well as promoting lesser-known types of bike riding.
Image: Bicycle Film Festival
This festival now spans 90 cities across the globe and the BFF has garnered a vast audience of over 1 million individuals. It has become one of the foremost art and cultural event advocating sustainability. The Bicycle Film Festival also has offshoot links with associated workshops, screenings, panel events, concert, food events and art exhibitions worldwide.
I really appreciate this event because it showcases new and original films that you cannot see anywhere else. the festival covers such a wide range of experiences, places and styles and it really gives you an insight into how important bicycles are to so many people. It is really a celebration of people, place and riding – it is affirming and heartwarming.
The Bicycle Film Festival’s YouTube channel is a testament to the range of interests, skills and quality of bike films being produced by enthusiasts. Here are a few of the offerings over the years:
Regular readers of this blog know that I am doing a bike-focused PhD in Education. In a nutshell, my project explores how bicycles feature in West African girls’ access to secondary education.
It is a great project and I love working on it.
I’ve been developing a research methodology called velo-onto-epistemology (VOE) as part of this project. I know it is a mouthful, but the article explains what it means.
I am delighted to share my latest publication which introduces my novel bicycle-focused research approach for the first time.
I wrote this paper with my incredible supervisor Dr Sherilyn Lennon. In this paper, I take Sherilyn for a bike ride as a way to put to work my VOE research methodology and destablise the traditional power hierarchy of the PhD candidate-supervisor relationship.
To show how velo-relationality works differently, we juxtapose – or ‘recycle’ our experiences next to each other (see below) in what we call ‘tandem writing’.
This article is an engaging read.
It is theoretical enough to be rigorous and interesting, but relatable for the everyday reader-rider.
Below is the abstract and a copy of the paper.
Feel free to download a copy (third icon on right below).
Check it out!
Ride on!
Enjoy!
ABSTRACT
Traditionally, the candidate-supervisor-relationship is predicated on a supervisor as teacher/expert – candidate as learner/novice model. But what becomes possible when the materialities of this power dynamic are destabilised and reimagined? This article draws from emerging feminist ontologies to introduce the concept of velo- onto-epistemology [VOE] as a means of re-cycling candidate- supervisor-relationships. VOE acknowledges the agency of the bicycle in moving and being moved. This novel approach is used to explore how stor(i)ed encounters and in-the-moment bodily responses enact current-future becomings. Through re-cycling, the candidate-supervisor-relationship is dis-articulated and re- articulated in ways that enable alternative and more equitable understandings of the world to emerge.
Hey there, bike friends! If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that I’m passionate about bikes, books, animals, and art. I’ve previously posted on a range of initiatives that celebrate bike books, for example:
Today, I have another fantastic book to add to your collection—one that combines a love for bikes, books and animals. Today, we are pedalling into an adventure called Duck on a Bike by David Shannon. This charming children’s book will make you smile, laugh, and maybe even inspire you to try something new. So, grab a cozy spot, a cup of tea and a young one who love bike stories and let’s ride into this delightful tale!
Enjoy!
Duck on a Bike is a popular children’s picture book written and illustrated by David Shannon. It tells the story of a duck who finds a bike and decides to take it for a ride around the farm.
In this story, Duck begins his adventure by discovering a bike that has been left by a child. Curious and excited, Duck climbs onto the bike and starts pedaling around the farm.
As Duck rides past other farm animals, they are amazed and wonder why a duck would want to ride a bike.
Duck encounters various animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, and horses. Some of the animals are impressed by the duck’s skills, while others are dubious or even jealous.
Duck loves the thrill of riding the bike and having the wind in their feathers (who doesn’t!!?).
Eventually, Duck returns to the farmyard, where the other animals gather around to see what happened on the ride. Inspired by Duck’s adventure, the other animals start trying out the bike for themselves, each with their own unique style.
The story ends with Duck suggesting that someday they might even see a whole flock of animals riding bikes!
I like Duck on a Bike because it is a charming and entertaining book that promotes the ideas of trying new things, breaking stereotypes, and embracing adventure.
This is a delightful story for young and older young readers – and I appreciate its humorous illustrations and inclusive subtext that anyone, (even a Duck or any other animals) can ride a bike.
Ride on Ducks!
Image: Good Reads
Image: Good Reads
And it’s good to see that this beloved book being celebrated by readers and libraries more broadly – like this installation below from Rippon Public Library!
The US National Bike Summit is an annual conference event that brings together bike advocates and enthusiasts from across the country. Now in its 23rd year, will be held from March 26 – March 29, 2023. This year the summit will be held in Washington, DC and the program offers a range of engaging activities, including in-person workshops, mobile discussion groups, biking opportunities, and networking events. Its primary focus is to foster the development of a Bicycle Friendly America that caters to the needs of everyone. In order to accommodate participants both physically and virtually, all sessions, panels, plenaries, and keynote speeches will be live-streamed online.
I was super excited to see this year that Keshia Roberson was one of the Key Summit speakers.
Keshia will be hosting the They Were Seeds: The Buried Legacy of Black Wheelwomen.
This session explores the legacy of Black women cyclists and how their roots have inspired future generations of diverse riders.
The incredible contributions of Black women in cycling deserve our recognition and celebration. Throughout history, remarkable figures like Kittie Knox and Ayesha McGowan have shattered barriers and blazed a trail for Black women cyclists.
Their groundbreaking achievements continue to inspire a new generation of Sheroes who are dedicated to creating more opportunities for Black women and girls to embrace the exhilaration of biking.
The remarkable Keshia Roberson founded Major Knox Adventures (MKA) with the aim of honoring the legacy of these trailblazers.
MKA is dedicated to providing affordable bike trip experiences, ensuring that women of color can partake in the transformative joy of outdoor adventures. It’s important to acknowledge the representation and contribution of African-American women cyclists which has been historically lacking and sorely underrepresented.
MKA seeks to change that by fostering inclusivity, creating a welcoming environment, and empowering Black women to experience the outdoors in all its splendor.
It would be amazing to hear Keshia Roberson present the They Were Seeds: The Buried Legacy of Black Wheelwomen at this year’s 2023 Bike Summit.
It is great to see a virtual conference option as well….mmmm….maybe next year….
Image: Major Knox Adventures
5 Cyclists Project
As regular readers of this blog know, I have a particular interest in decolonial herstories and in uncovering the lesser-known stories, contributions and experiences of women on two wheels… which is how I come to know about Keshia.
I contributed to a journal publication last year which looked at geography and collective memories through art – and in this article, I cited the incredible 5 Cyclists Project (included below and see the full article here), which is the inspiration for Keshia’s MKA 1928 Legacy Tour.
The 5 Cyclists Project showcases the incredible untold story of five African-American women, Marylou Jackson, Velva Jackson, Ethyl Miller, Leolya Nelson and Constance White, who in 1928, biked 250 miles cross-country. At the time, cycling was overwhelmingly white and elite, a dynamic that still remains today (Mackintosh & Norcliffe, 2007). The centrepiece 5 Cyclists photograph (Scurlock, 1928), challenges essentialising assumptions as to when, how and why certain bodies cannot move through landscapes. It questions mainstream notions of who a cyclist is, where they can go, how far they travel, what spaces they can access, and how mobility shapes environments encountered. This project reminds us that certain voices and lived experiences are systematically overlooked, and the need to shed light on the complex issues and legitimacy of racialised, gendered, and classed experiences.
I am truly inspired by the multitude of remarkable endeavours undertaken by bike activists, and it fills me with great admiration to delve into the rich legacy of extraordinary women in the world of cycling, both past and present.
The dedication and passion exhibited by individuals like Keshia is so needed today.
To Keshia and the Bike Summit community, keep shining and making a positive impact!
Happy holidays all!Instead of celebrating Christmas, I celebrate the holidays. As we wind up for the year, my thoughts turn to ‘t(r)ail’ holidays and riding bikes with four-legged friends. The December break is a wonderful time to get out and visit your favourite trails and explore new ones. Riding mountain bike trails with your dog is one of the most enjoyable things you can do. To whet your whistle, here’s an offering from Kona which introduces Rosco the mature trail dog and his MTB owner Lacy. This short video puts together all the best things about MTBing with furry friends – and more. Enjoy! NG.
Roscoe the trail dog and Lacy. Image: My Kona Lacy Kemp (video still).
The company of dogs when MTBing is the best feeling in the world. They love to explore new places and meet new people – and they ALWAYS love being on trail.
I’m a BIG fan of bikes and dogs. I’ve previously shared stories like:
When you ride with a dog, you are never alone. You always have someone to keep you company and make you laugh.
Dogs are also great motivators. They always want to go faster and harder than you do, which can push you to ride at your best.
Plus, there’s nothing like the feeling of cruising through the woods with your best buddy by your side.
I love riding with my 11-year-old trail dog Zoe. Zoe is a fit and keen kelpie who loves the outdoors and we have had many happy trail adventures together.
Recently I saw this short video (below) by Kona. Kona is an American bike manufacturing company so it makes sense they would promote themselves as gender-inclusive, exciting, and approachable for a range of riders.
Rosco is a nearly retired trail dog. At 11 years old, he’s still got plenty of spunk, but these days he prefers to lounge at home while his human counterpart hits the trails – but not always! Lacy started riding mountain bikes with her dog Rosco as soon as she got him, and the two have been shredding together ever since.
These days when they ride together, they do 30mins ‘old-man laps’ so Rosco can still get his paws dirty.
They take it slow because Rosco needs a few rests along the way – awww bless!
I agree with Lacy that you always learn new lines following your dog.
As an avid night rider – I loved seeing Lacy shed in the evenings, although we don’t get snow where I live, so seeing that was next level for me.
Lacy likes snowy night rides because its ‘like riding sugar’ and its where ‘shadows pop’.
Most riders can relate to Lacy’s sentiment when she says:
‘I feel weird, I don’t feel whole if I don’t get out on my bike.’
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a first-time rider, we all feel the joy of riding mountain bikes with dogs. And if you haven’t managed to do this recently, this video will help until you do!
So next time you hit the trails, be sure to bring your furry friend along for the ride.
In Ireland, fewer than 1 in every 250 school girl rides a bike to school. This is despite the fact that bikes are an environmentally friendly and healthy mode of transportation. While the number of boys who cycle to school has been steadily increasing over the years, the number of girls remains relatively static. So why aren’t more girls cycling?
An Taisce is an Irish heritage charity that is working to address this issue. Their campaign is called #andshecycles aims at exploring the root cause of what makes teenage girls hesitant in commuting to their schools and colleges on bicycles. It was important to find out what was the cause, so the campaign involved interviewing many students, teachers, parents, and psychologists to get a solid grasp of what was going on.
One reason may be that teenage girls feel unsafe cycling on busy roads. They may also feel self-conscious about their appearance, especially if they don’t have the right equipment or clothing. Additionally, some girls may simply not have access to a bike.
The most common causes turn out to be peer-pressure, self-consciousness and harassment, which makes girls reluctant. Many girls said they feel ‘judged and intimidated’ by boys and men when cycling to school.
Image: Sticky Bottle
Many young girls expressed their concerns with the school uniforms which made it difficult for girls to bike. Some added on a lighter note that the helmets and high vis jackets can also scare off people from riding bicycles. It usually collides with the fashion statements. However, Caitriona Buggle from the campaign expressed that the addition of colourful helmets could make a statement that ‘Safety can be Sexy.’
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that more needs to be done to encourage Irish girls to cycle to school. The #andshecycles campaign is a step in the right direction, and with more awareness and education, hopefully more girls will soon be cycling to school safely and confidently.
An Taisce’s campaign #andshecycles was launched at Dublin’s Science Gallery. Many young girls attended the campaign and it went viral on social media.
The campaign’s panelists stressed the fact that girls needed more role models on wheels. It is necessary for an active and healthy lifestyle. Young girls were encouraged to get back on their bicycles.
Sylia Thompson from The Irish Times published an article (and video) on this issue and reported Jane Hackett, manager of the Green Schools travel programme as saying: “We have been working with schools around the country to increase cycling numbers for over ten years. Because of this work we realised that although teen girls wanted to cycle the numbers weren’t increasing at the same levels as their male counterparts. So we asked why, and #andshecycles was born.”
Let’s hope the #andshecycles campaign gets more Irish girls on bikes!
Regular readers of this blog know my bicycles-for-education PhD fieldwork was with the local people and riders of Lunsar, Sierra Leone.
The Lunsar Cycling Team has been gaining increasing attention recently, especially with the upcoming, ever popular annual Tour de Lunsar cycling event.
I was delighted to see AFRICAP is a Tour de Lunsar event supporter. AFRICAP cycling caps was founded by Hammer (from Sierra Leone!) who started it out of a love for cycling and a desire to bring something special to the sport.
Africap was created to merge two passions: African prints and cycling. Cycling caps are not traditionally made with African prints, so Africap saw an opportunity to change that. They create beautiful and stylish cycling caps made from traditional African fabrics.
Image: Africaps
Ankara Prints
Each Africap product is made with a unique African print. The prints are sourced from all over the continent, so no two products are exactly alike.
These cycling caps are handcrafted from Ankara material which is a traditional African fabric. Ankara textiles are wax-printed cotton fabrics commonly used across West Africa and each region has its own distinctive design. The material itself is great as it is very light, airy and absorbent which helps keeps riders cool.
Each cap is named after a particular region that the fabrtic is from. Africaps are not factory made, but released in limited editions so are collector’s items and highly sought after.
Image: Africaps
There are so many different African prints and textiles, it can be hard to know where to begin. One of the things that makes African prints so special is the range of colours and designs. Whether you’re looking for something bright and bold or more subdued and traditional, there’s an African print out there for you.
Ankara prints are unique for many reasons. One reason is that they are handmade. African prints are also usually made with bright, bold colors that reflect the vibracy and diversity of African cultures. Ankaras often have geometric patterns that are created by both hand-painting and block printing. African prints usually have a lot of symbolism. For example, certain animals may be used to represent different ethnic groups or ideas. All of these factors combine to create some truly beautiful and unique fabrics.
Image: Africaps
Africap’s STORE has a range of musettes and their groovy cycling caps are named after the regions the material comes from –such as Bo, Ngor, Cocody, Abduja, Odu and Regent.
I was super impressed to see that Africap supports sustainable practices and that no plastic materials are used during production or sales cycles. I can see why these caps have quickly become a favorite among cyclists in Africa and for those ‘in the know’ internationally.
Africaps is working to expand its reach beyond Africa, and has already partnered with several international cycling teams.
The company’s mission is to promote cycling in Africa and to help African cyclists reach their potential. And it was great to see them doing this with their renewed support of Tour de Lunsar 2022.
See more about Africaps and Hammer in Sylvie D’Aoust’s video below.
The annual Chicks in the Sticks event was coming up and I was registered. This year, I wanted to continue conversations about the unbearable whiteness of cycling and lack of support/inclusion of First Nations riders, decolonising MTB, celebrating First Nation experiences and better recognising First Nations connection to country at MTB events.
CITS is Queensland’s biggest, annual all-female 3hr Enduro mountain bike event. Those who know me know I like to bring the fun – so a theme bike and outfit was in order, but not anything mainstream.
Chicks in the Sticks – Annual All-female 3 hr Enduro Event
At this event, there is a big emphasis on fun, inclusion, and ‘giving it a go’, so there is lots of costumes and colour: – there is a profusion of ladybirds, bees, rainbow tutus, Where’s Wallys amongst the more ‘serious’ riders.
I wanted to continue the good vibes, but also raise awareness of First Nations experiences. But ‘Decolonise MTB’ was not the right approach for this event.
So I came up with an idea to promote First Nations experiences in a way that was positive and clear, but not confrontational. My idea consisted of a costume that was comfortable to ride it that matched a uniquely decorated bike highlighting my key theme.
To bring my vision to life, I enlisted the help of two incredible women to make my idea happen. A massive thank you to both Alison and Nix for their collaboration!
My Outfit
The outfit centred mainly on a custom-made T-shirt. This was the visually impactful piece and meant I could still ride safety and comfortably. Alison is a creative mate who I have collaborated with on a number of previous projects, including prepping for Bike Hack 19. Alison was integral in producing my T-shirt vision.
The T-shirt was a bright yellow and had connecting circles and indigenous artwork prints on the front and the words ‘celebrating’ over the same indigenous print panel on the back. I specifically chose ‘celebrating’ as a present verb (ie doing) and it was a positive message. The print was sourced from a First Nations art Collective (to support artists) and the other material (black spots and yellow T) were sourced from Opp Shops.
Nix is a proud Quandamooka woman who is highly creative. I had the idea of decorating my bike in a way that combined the approaches of my previous Art Bike Projects CONS_U_Me Blues with the Kids Bikes are Hard Work …but also it needed to be lightweight, snag-free, and still easy to ride during the event.
We used recycled clothes from Opp Shops to decorate the bike in the colours of the Australian Aboriginal flag (red, black, and yellow) by strapping the frame in red and black with yellow hanging tassels (emulating the flag’s yellow sun) in the middle.
We added a large ball under the seat in the Torres Strait Islander colors.
On the handlebars we had a hint of the theme colous for front-facing reference.
We then decorated the helmet to match.
See the stages of development below.
Archie ‘helping’
Before shot
frame wrapping
Torres Strait decoration
In-progress
helmet decoration
helmet test
It was a great project to collaborate with others and it ticked all the important boxes for me like being based on recycling and sustainable principles, increasing awareness for First Nation experiences, creating a new and original outfit to ride in, supporting the event by dressing up and bringing the good vibes, creating something we collectively made that was low-cost, sustainable, and low-tech, and I got to share quality creative time with people I admire.
A massive, big thank you to Alison and Nix – I love what we co-created!
In the next post, I’ll let you know how the event went.
The 2021 Australian Walking and Cycling Conference is on! Thursday the 30th of September and Friday the 1st of October – and this year it is all online!
This year’s theme is: Global Lessons, Local Opportunities.
I have been to this conference a number of times in the past and I’ve always enjoyed it.
There is always a good mix of research, community, international and local perspectives, sustainability, urban planning, and new and interesting ideas.
I am definitely going to miss not seeing delegates in person, or doing the side-conference activities and events – they are a real highlight!
But even without the trimmings, I’m excited about this year’s program.
I’m looking forward to connecting with some old conference mates and meeting some new people and hearing what some of ‘the big issues’ are in cycling research.
I’ve been pouring over the abstracts and speakers, checking out the new projects, selecting what sessions to go to, and preparing notes to add to chat discussions during presentations.
I’ve listed the program at the end of this post for those interested.
For anyone going – I’ll (virtually) see you there!
AWCC 2019. Source: AWCC
Conference vision
The simple acts of walking and cycling have the potential to transform the places we live, our economies and how we engage with our environment. The Australian Walking and Cycling conference explores the potential for walking and cycling to not only provide for transport and recreation but solutions to challenges of liveability, health, community building, economic development and sustainability. As one of Australia’s longest-running, best-regarded and most affordable active travel conferences, we bring together practitioners and researchers from Australia and across the world to share their work and engage with conference participants.
The Australian Walking and Cycling Conference aims to send zero waste to landfill.
AWCC
Keynote speakers
I am very excited about the keynotes speakers – especially Meredith. I have been following her work for a while (total researcher fan-girl crush!) and she is kick-ass! Meredith is also a consummate speaker, so I can’t wait to hear her present on her current work. Double Woohoo!
Meredith Glaser is an American urban planner, lecturer, and sustainable mobility researcher, based in the Netherlands since 2010. At the Urban Cycling Institute (University of Amsterdam), her research focuses on public policy innovation, knowledge transfer, and capacity building for accelerated implementation of sustainable transport goals. She is one of the world’s most experienced educators for professionals seeking to learn Dutch transport planning policies and practices. She also manages academic output for several European Commission projects and sits on the advisory committee of the Cycling Research Board. Meredith holds master’s degrees in public health and urban planning from University of California, Berkeley.
Fiona Campbell has been working for the City of Sydney since 2008 and is the Manager Cycling Strategy. She is deeply committed to making Sydney a bike-friendly city and to helping others achieve similar goals. Fiona is currently managing the roll out of 11 new City of Sydney cycleway projects, three of which are permanent designs to upgrade temporary Covid-19 pop-up cycleways. Fiona mostly rides a Danish (Butchers and Bicycles) cargo trike, and on weekends accompanied by two Jack Russells. Fiona will present on “Global lessons, local opportunities”. This title is also the Conference theme.
Regular readers of this blog know that I have been working with Griffith’s Indigenous Research Unit (IRU) and Kungullanji as an Academic Skills Advisor for the last 4 years. But this is the first time I have put in to be a project mentor.
Image: Griffith News
Recently, Kungullanji announced their Summer Expressions of Interest (EOIs). These are small research projects that will be offered to Griffith’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for the Summer 2021- 2022 Program. Students get to pick which project they would like to work on. The projects need to be achieved within eight weeks (over Summer before T1 starts). Usually, projects include field work, laboratory work, data analysis and statistics, literature review, case studies, method development, and/or product design.
So, I thought I’d through my hat into the ring this year.
It is an unusual project with experimental methodologies – so it’s a long shot that it will be attractive for an undergrad – but you never know! There might be a brave researcher out willing to try something a little different! We’ll see!
The process of writing up the abstract alone was a really helpful activity in helping me clarify aspects of the methodology and thinking through how to explain what VEO is in clear and simple terms.
Below is what I submitted.
I’ll find out in 6 weeks if a Kungullanji student-researcher chooses my project.
EOI: Project description
Title: Cycle Shiftings: Reconfiguring First Nation presences in Morton Bay Bikeway
Project supervisor: Nina Ginsberg (School of Education & Professional Studies)
Project description:
Bike riding is a ubiquitous part of modern life and offers significant social, economic, environmental and health benefits. However, there is ‘an unbearable whiteness of cycling’ (Hylton, 2017) that is keenly evident. Bicycle trails are not free from the history, culture and politics in which they are built and used.
This project focuses on one section of a popular bikeway located on Narlang lands of the Quandamooka peoples (commonly known as the Morton Bay Bikeway (MBB), Wynnum-Manly, Brisbane). This bike path is the focus of this project which uses emerging mobile ‘riding-with’ research approaches that work to decolonise place. ‘Riding-with’ research approaches are unique as they consider what bicycles can ‘do’ and ‘be’ beyond being just objects of transportation, utility or recreation.
This means paying close attention to what is seen, said, remembered, thought, felt, understood and experienced while bike riding researcher-community members move through particular environments – and in this case specifically, the Moreton Bay Bikeway. This project fits into an exciting and newly established research space that uses embodied and mobile methodologies to destablise current settler-colonial bike path logic and praxis – to look at what might be learned or discovered by cultivating more First Nations experiences as/into bike paths. The underlying aim is to bring forward possibilities for identifying and refiguring what is considered ‘normal’ on bike paths by promoting and celebrating First Nations presences – and that doing so will broaden and bolster similar conversations elsewhere.
The Kungullanji researcher will be encouraged to actively co-contribute to all aspects of the project process. There are opportunities for the researcher to communicate work undertaken (ie via publication, community bike tour, etc) which is highly encouraged, given time and interest. This project would suit a motivated, curious, mature and open-minded researcher who is interested in working with innovative research skills. The supervisor, Nina Ginsberg, will provide guidance at all stages of this project.
Student responsibilities:
Research mobile methodologies and local First Nations presences (around Wynnum-Manly area)
Write short summaries/narratives based on key research themes
Co-develop (with supervisor) an approach to action key research themes
Develop and experiment with riding-with approaches
This project involves being able to go for regular bike rides along Wynnum-Manly foreshore (accessible by train)at a leisurely pace with regular breaks for about 10 kms. Must have a general level of fitness and know how to ride a bike safely. Ideally, the Kungullanji researcher will have their own bike (in good working order) and safety gear (if not, Nina can help arrange this).
Meet with Supervisor at least weekly for bike ride-meetings to discuss findings, progress and next steps.
Opportunity for a co-authored publication (Kungullanji researcher and Supervisor) and/or community bike tour to share findings (if time/interest allows).
Morton Bay Cycleway. Image: Visit Queensland
The Kungullanji Program
The Kungullanji Research Pathways Program raises aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by providing an undergraduate research experience, professional development, and connections to the broader Indigenous research community. The idea is to provide an introduction to research and develop valuable skills for students to start their research journey.
The idea is that First Nations undergrads work alongside research staff (who may be an academic staff member, research fellow, postdoctoral fellow or HDR candidate) to gain hands-on research. Supervisors provide regular and ongoing mentorship, guidance, research-specific training, and experience.
This award-winning program is a key part of Griffith University’s strategy to “grow its own” First Peoples higher degree research cohort.
Kungullanji is an Aboriginal word from the Yugambeh language that means ‘to think’ – and this service is specifically for undergraduates.
Kungullanji offers practical research experience and opportunities to develop research skills and confidence not found elsewhere for undergraduates. Students receive a scholarship and are provided with online and in-person research skills training, cultural experience activities, a transdisciplinary art-based workshop, and Peer Mentors provide additional guidance and support.
Image: Griffith News
Postscript: This year there was a remarkably high number of EOIs submitted (the highest ever!) – which speaks to the growing recognition and high caliber of this program! Ultimately, 46 projects were submitted. There were 23 students. My EOI was not selected – another time!
