Latest Te Pūnaha Hihiko fund science projects announced

Matariki star cluster. Photo / Stephen Chadwick

By RNZ

Sixteen Māori research projects will receive funding in the latest round of the Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund.

The fund, administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, invests in projects designed to strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system.

The 2023 round is the 11th round of funding, around $4 million is invested into projects every round.

Manager of contestable investments Alan Coulson said he was looking forward to seeing the progress and impact the funded projects make.

“By embracing mātauranga Māori alongside modern science, we grow our pool of knowledge, strengthen community connections, and make room for a wider range of ideas and experiences that enhance our research outcomes,” he said.

Projects supported by the 2023 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund include:

· Ko ahau te tohorā, te tohorā ko ahau, I am the whale, and the whale is me - A call for Mātauranga Māori to improve whale stranding response in Aotearoa. A partnership between Massey University and Te Kauika Tangaroa Charitable Trust.

· Tātai aroraki ki te Toka: southern Māori astronomy. A partnership between Otago Museum Trust Board and Te Rūnanga o Moeraki to address the distinct knowledge gap regarding mātauraka tātai aroraki (astronomy) for Kāi Tahu.

· eDNA technologies for kaitiakitanga o te moana. A partnership between Ngāti Hei Holdings Limited and the Cawthron Institute to apply cutting-edge eDNA tools to monitor biodiversity throughout Ngāti Hei’s rohe moana.

Other projects that will receive funding include ones focused on weaving, microbiology and kiwi whakapapa.

The full list of projects can be found here.

- RNZ