Your enquiry has been successfully sent
Your enquiry could not be processed. Please contact us directly at www.csiro.au/Contact to make your enquiry
Contact details:
KARAWARA WA 6152 AUSTRALIA
Biography
I am a Senior Research Scientist (community-engaged geographer) in the Sustainability Pathways Program, who leads and supports applied research to effect sustainable transitions. This involves context-specific approaches to engagement of research partners in the processes of co-design, collaboration and knowledge co-production through a lens of equity and social justice. The testing of transdisciplinary methods and tools that mobilize, translate and weave knowledge in support of enhanced social, ecological and economic wellbeing are central to my approach.
Applying decolonising social science methodologies, including participatory and reflexive approaches, I seek to cultivate trust, respect, flexibility, and adaptability to respond to partners’ and clients’ needs in often complicated socio-political environments. Critical to the realisation of research impact are the relationships and research partnerships nurtured over 15+ years of working with First Peoples and their representative institutions across Australia.
Research I have led and supported has realised impact in water planning in northern Australia; engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems in classrooms nationally; and influencing the adoption of Indigenous approaches to land management via the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Research outcomes have been further adopted by state and federal government agencies, peak industry bodies, NGOs, and Indigenous and community organisations across the domains of agriculture, education, health, water, and biodiversity. I am also currently leading a group of colleagues as the Collaborative and Adaptive Pathways Team Leader.
Other Interests
Our Knowledge Our Way Guidelines
Researchers’ and policy-makers’ ability to work effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is central to solving some of the nation’s most complex environmental challenges and supporting alternative methods to manage the land and seascape. The Our Knowledge Our Way (OKOW) transdisciplinary science initiative produced the first Indigenous-led guidelines for best practices when working with Indigenous knowledge in caring for Country.
We worked intensively with our partners - North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance; Australian Committee for IUCN; and the National Environmental Science Program - to facilitate over 100 Indigenous contributions to the development of the Guidelines. These are the first such guidelines nationally (none are available internationally) and one of the first national examples of genuine co-design with Indigenous peoples, now recognized as the best-practice approach across the Indigenous health, welfare, business, research and other sectors.
Founded on 23 case studies submitted by Indigenous land and sea managers from across Australia, the Guidelines highlight how Indigenous knowledge is kept strong through access to Country and Indigenous cultural governance of knowledge. The key guiding principle is that Indigenous people must decide what is best practice in working with Indigenous knowledge. The Guidelines cut across four themes: strengthening Indigenous knowledge; strong partnerships; sharing and weaving knowledge; and Indigenous land and sea networks.
The outcomes of the OKOW Guidelines have made a foundational impact in setting a new standard in how to engage Indigenous peoples in partnering with science:
• The originality and successful application of this effort has resulted in immediate impact with the OKOW research approach adopted by the State of the Environment (SOE) 2021 – leading to an inaugural Indigenous Theme; new authorship and content guidelines including Indigenous authorship; and support for Indigenous-led case studies across all Themes
• The WA Government adopted the approach in the development of their Indigenous- co-authored Bring Together Walk Together Aboriginal Partnership Engagement Framework (2021) which directs the reader to engage with the Guidelines to support interpretation (https://www.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/BringTogetherWalkTogetherAboriginalPartnershipFramework.pdf). The Department described OKOW as ‘an exemplar for Aboriginal-led partnerships for science and planning in Australia’.
• The QLD Department of Environment and Science reference the Guidelines as a key resource in their draft Traditional Knowledge in Biodiscovery Code of Practice and Guidelines (2021).
Professional Areas
Fields of Research
Current Roles
-
Co-lead
Gooniyandi Fire Science project, with Gooniyandi Aboriginal Corporation -
Advisor
National Bushfire Intelligence Capability -
Julius Career Awardee 2023-2026
International networking; travel; collaboration
Academic Qualifications
-
2019
PhD -The critical role of network brokers in strengthening Indigenous land and sea management in Australia
University of Western Australia -
2000
BSc (Env) Hons (Class 1) Geography
University of Western Australia
Professional Experiences
-
2023-2023
Women in Leadership
University of Oxford and Saïd Business School -
2022-2022
Foundations of Directorship
Australian Institute of Company Directors
Achievements and Awards
-
2023-2026
Julius Career Award (International travel: networking and collaboration)
CSIRO -
2022-2022
Inclusion and Diversity (Reconciliation) Team Award
CSIRO Land and Water -
2021-2021
R&D Excellence Award: Northern Australia Water Resource Assessment
Australian Water Association's Australian Water Awards -
2020-2020
CSIRO Collaboration Medal - North Australian Water Resources Assessment Team
CSIRO -
2020-2020
Land and Water Science Communication Award - Our Knowledge Our Way Guidelines
CSIRO -
2020-2020
Exemplary Leadership Award - Our Knowledge Our Way Guidelines
CSIRO -
2018-2018
Ruby Payne-Scott Award (International travel)
CSIRO -
2014-2014
Chief Executive Study Award (International travel)
CSIRO -
2012-2012
National Finalist
Fresh Science Awards
Other highlights
-
2024-2024
Visiting Scholar, University of Victoria, BC: Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health Collective
-
2022--
Collaborator, Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health Collective, University of Victoria, Canada
-
2021-2021
Invited Presenter, Cutting Edge Science Symposium: Developing a dynamic ecosystem assessment system for Australia (with Prof Stephen van Leeuwen) (2021)
-
2018-2018
Visiting Scholar, Queens University, Canada. Hosted by Prof H. Castleden (August 2018)
-
2014-2014
Visiting Scientist, Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Canada. Hosted by Prof F. Berkes (October 2014)
-
2014-2014
Invited Speaker, Australian Academy of Sciences 2014 Frontiers of Science - The Edges of Astronomy, Canberra
-
2013-2013
Invited Speaker, 2013 UNESCO International Expert Meeting on Te hurihuri o te Ao (cycles of change) - traditional calendars for informing climate change policies, Auckland, New Zealand
-
2013-2013
Invited co-speaker, CSIRO Jack Cusack Memorial Lecture (with Lorraine Williams), Canberra
-
2012-2012
Invited Speaker, 2012 Centre for Australian Climate and Weather Research (CAWCR) 6th Annual workshop: Understanding and Prediction of Monsoon Weather and Climate, Melbourne
Attachments
Related links
- State of the Environment report - Indigenous
- Many Lands, Many Seasons co-produced ABC TV series: Indigenous seasonal knowledge
- Our Knowledge Our Way Guidelines and Film
- Co-produced Indigenous seasonal calendars
- Our Knowledge Our Way Launch Q&A
- Building the Indigenous-led bush products sector
- Healthy Country, Healthy People Report
Publications
We have publications by Dr Emma Woodward