Projects

What mātauranga exists that can support our flora for their continued existence as taonga and how can Māori build their response capability to biological threats on taonga plant species?

What is the current state of knowledge on wairua, pregnancy and birthing, what are the key initia-tives and opportunities for collaborative research pro-jects, and who are the key stakeholders in this area?

How do we collectivise what we have for greater gain?

This platform project explores how Māori-led taiao initiatives reconnect whānau and hapū with place, identity, and whakapapa.
Through case studies, wānanga, and digital tools, the project examines the aspirations, processes, and outcomes of environmental mahi that strengthen connections between people and te taiao.

This project investigated how Māori values underpinning the Māori economy can be theorised and applied to enhance community wellbeing. By stocktaking existing literature and engaging across sectors, the researchers built a Māori-led theory of value grounded in tikanga and Indigenous epistemologies.

This project explored how Māori and Indigenous communities used digital platforms to protect and share mātauranga, with a focus on te taiao. It investigated tikanga-based digital protocols and iwi/hapū needs, informing the development of Indigenous-led digital solutions.

What current methods do Māori (particularly those on low incomes and/or living in conditions of poverty) use to manage money?

What financial products and services are likely to be effective for Māori and how might these be successfully implemented?

This project brought together a multidisciplinary Māori research team to identify tikanga-based strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
It consolidated Indigenous knowledge, promoted Māori-led solutions, and developed pathways for enhanced community wellbeing in the face of climate challenges.

How can local tangata whenua be empowered to make the best decisions for sustainable management of Northland’s brown kiwi, and how can the isolated kiwi populations from Ipipiri (Eastern Bay of Islands) be managed to maintain local whakapapa and reduce the negative impact of small population sizes and inbreeding?

Is harakeke one key to a sustainable future for Aotearoa and, if it is, how do we utilise it to develop this sustainable future?

In this platform research, our focus makes the distinction between ‘kai’ as a culturally defined Māori notion and western interpretations of ‘food’.

This NPM Platform Project is building an understanding on how to build stronger, more connected iwi, through enhancing engagement with Māori governance entities.

In Phase 1 of the research, we are exploring the approaches used by Māori governance entities to ask: how do Māori governance entities engage members regardless of where they’re living?

This project explores the role that enterprise plays in indigenous self-determination. In New Zealand, we have chosen to examine Māori business networks (MBNs), which we argue are a manifestation of this struggle, but suffer from the absence of a sustainable business model.

What Māori-focused research has been undertaken in the field of speech-language therapy, what does this research tell us about the speech-language therapy needs of Māori, and what evidence is there in the broader health and education sectors for ways to address any inequities or problems with speech-language therapy service provision for Māori?

What existing research, collation, archivingand disseminating of knowledge specific to te reo me ngā tikanga Māori has been done to date across Aotearoa New Zealand within Māori communities, government agencies, and research institutions’, what additional strategies can be used to further support the normalising of te reo me ngā tikanga in the modern world to create communities of practice;

How will tikanga Māori empower the evaluation of the experience of Māori whānau in crisis to measure the performance of the Government’s new obligations in law to Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

Our longterm objective is to bring new evaluative knowledge to empower the mana of whānau in crisis. 

This project explored how tamariki, rangatahi, and their whānau thrived in a changing world by supporting Māori wellbeing and success in diverse workplaces. Through research, interviews, and stakeholder input, it aimed to create a Māori-led Change Management Model and policy framework to foster sustainable incomes, cultural revitalisation, and balanced work–life wellbeing for Māori.

Resilient Legacies: Mānawa te Taonga Tuku Iho explored how Māori cultural treasures—taonga tuku iho—are used, valued, and commodified in Aotearoa’s rugby world. From haka to carved trophies, and digital taonga on the horizon, the project examines the impact on mana, mauri ora, and identity, and the cultural and commercial implications for Māori and rugby alike.

What are the mental health needs for rangatahi, what services are available to them, what are the gaps in rangatahi primary mental health care, and what are the potential innovations/strategies that would fill these gaps?

The need for this project arises from a previous study conducted by MidCentral District Health Board (MDHB), which identified the following questions as essential:

1.              What are the experiences of long-term conditions for tangata Māori?