The resource is being developed from a remarkable older collection of biological material (mostly blood) collected from Indigenous Australians and held by the ANU since the 1960s, supplemented by the ongoing addition of new material (mostly saliva).

NCIG is using the newest technologies to read the DNA sequences in the old and new material.  The sequence data that emerges is being carefully assembled to make it useable to scientists.

The NCIG Collection – which also includes historical documents as well as the biological material and data – is under the custodianship of an Indigenous-majority board.

Biomedical scientists and researchers from other fields are invited to apply to the Board for access to the resource for projects that offer potential benefit to Indigenous Australians.