Hon Steven Joyce

Minister of Science & Innovation

19 December 2013

Govt invests $2.4m in Māori-led research & innovation

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the investment of more than $2.4 million to help unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources, and people.

Eighteen programmes will receive $2,425,772 in funding from the Te Pūnaha Hihiko Vision Mātauranga (VM) Capability Fund, administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with decisions informed by an independent assessment panel of experts.

“This Fund invests in work that builds skills and networks in organisations undertaking research that will have environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits for New Zealand,” Mr Joyce says.

The Fund’s objectives are to increase connections and collaborations between Māori organisations, individual researchers and research organisations so that:

researchers and research organisations can improve their understanding of Māori research needs and effective ways to transfer knowledge to Māori
Māori users of research can understand better what research can do for them, and increase user uptake and application of research results
research capacity in Māori organisations increases
levels of VM-relevant research within research organisations increase
the development of individual researchers who undertake work that has the potential to deliver the objectives outlined in the VM policy is supported

The Fund was redeveloped earlier this year, as money became available from previous investments. “Rather than investing directly in research, the Fund aims to develop the skills of people and organisations,” Mr Joyce says.

“The new programmes announced today address this in a variety of ways, including exploring new ways to bring mātauranga Māori and science together, identifying mātauranga Māori that can benefit the country, and offering opportunities for Māori and researchers to better understand each other’s perspective.”

The programmes will cover a wide range of topics, including:

· environmental monitoring of Māori land to guide future compliance and kaitiaki (guardianship)
· better comprehension of Māori traditional calendars, leading to greater understanding of the application of environment, climate and biological knowledge
· enhancing the prosperity of Māori-owned kiwifruit orchards
· creating a Māori research collective to develop marine and land use in the Bay of Plenty and East Cape regions.

The contracts will commence between January 2014 and June 2014 and run for up to three years.

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