JCU Library announces Winner of the 2024 Sage Grant

2024 Sage Grant Winner

JCU Library is pleased to announce Linda Ford as the 2024 winner of the JCU Library Sage Publishing Asia Pacific Grant for Indigenous HDR Students. Linda is a PhD candidate with the College of Arts, Society and Education (CASE) and a Senior Lecturer in Social Work. Linda receives a research grant of $5,000 and recently presented her research to the university community as part of grant requirements.

Linda’s research topic is: Australian Aboriginal Women's, post-sexual assault, engagement with care services. Her research aims to examine the experiences of Aboriginal women (aged 16 years and over), who are victim/survivors of sexual assault and who have engaged with either acute crisis care (Police, Ambulance and Health Care) and/or ongoing therapeutic care. The research will explore both the enablers and the barriers for these women in accessing this care and the subsequent consequences of each. 

Linda Ford presenting her research

Slide from Linda Ford's presentation

Bronwyn Mathiesen, Deputy Director, JCU Library, presenting the Award to Linda Ford

From L to R: Jayshree Mamtora, Manager Scholarly Communications; Linda Ford, Bronwyn Mathiesen; and Professor Liz Tynan from the Graduate Research School

The Presentation

You can watch the whole presentation here:

The Grant

The Sage Research Grant was first negotiated with Sage Publications Asia Pacific by the Library in mid-2020. As a global academic publisher of books, journals, and a growing suite of library products and services, Sage’s mission is to build bridges to knowledge. To this end, SAGE Publications Asia Pacific are providing funding for a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) grant to Australian Indigenous HDR students at JCU. The scholarship is subject to the provisions of James Cook University’s Coursework Scholarships, Bursaries and Grants Policy.

The Sage grant aims to support the student’s research activities. Eligibility criteria for the grant include identification as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and enrolment in a JCU Higher Degree Research program at one of JCU’s Australian Tropical Campuses (Townsville, Cairns or Online).

Previous winners

The inaugural winner of the SAGE grant was Tamara Sam in 2020, and Jesse King followed as the winner for 2021. Tammy and Jesse jointly carried out their presentations at the first seminar event organised by JCU Library and hosted by the Indigenous Education and Research Centre (IERC) in late 2021. Tamara’s research focused on “Staying afloat at school” – Academic buoyancy amongst Indigenous Secondary Students, while Jesse’s explored, “Does the Australian Curriculum: Technologies give a Foucault about First Nations Peoples?” Georgia Storm won the grant in 2022 with her research focusing on Exploring Indigenous Cultural Competence in Legal Practitioner Client Relations. The 2023 winner was Gerry Turpin and his research was on the ethnobotanical identification and biological activities of selected Mbabaram medicinal plants.

The Library looks forward to continuing to support JCU Indigenous Higher Degree by Research candidates for the foreseeable future. We are grateful to the IERC for their support in hosting the seminars, and the Graduate Research School in helping promote the Grant.

For further information please contact Jayshree Mamtora, Manager, Scholarly Communications, JCU Library.