Royal Society Te Apārangi scholarships announced

2023 RHT Bates Postgraduate Scholarship

Pictured: Peter Tremain

The 2023 RHT Bates Postgraduate Scholarship of $6,000 has been awarded to Peter Tremain (University of Auckland) for his work on the “Development of a minimally invasive device for imaging bioelectric gastric slow waves to aid in diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorders.”

Originally from Palmerston North, Peter moved down to Canterbury to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2015. Upon graduating in 2017 he joined a startup engineering consultancy that focused on seismic design and general mechanical projects. "Being involved in the fast-paced expansion of a startup was incredibly interesting, providing many learning opportunities beyond the standard technical engineering skills, but I found myself wanting work with more tangible impact on people," Peter says. He says coming to postgraduate study at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) was an opportunity to satisfy that desire. "At the ABI I am working on developing minimally invasive methods to image electrical activity in the stomach. Abnormalities in the bioelectric rhythm of the stomach, which helps control digestion, have been associated with a number of very poorly understood functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders." He says the work his group is carrying out leverages recent breakthroughs in the understanding of the bioelectrical patterns in the gut, and has the potential to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of functional GI disorders, significantly improving peoples lives. "I'm incredibly excited to develop this work further, and maximise the benefit we can bring to patients around the world."

2023 Sir Hugh Kawharu Masters Scholarship for Innovation in Science

Pictured: Jenna McLachlan

The 2023 Sir Hugh Kawharu Masters Scholarship for Innovation in Science of $10,000 has been awarded to Jenna McLachlan (University of Oxford) to assist with a Master of Public Policy.

Jenna (Ngai Tahū) is undertaking a Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford – focusing on pathways and policies to respond to the demands of climate change and reduce carbon emissions. At Oxford, Jenna aims to strengthen her understanding of how effective environmental policies are developed and communicated, and have scope to analyse New Zealand’s resource management framework from a global position. Jenna intends to return to New Zealand, equipped with a practical foundation to develop meaningful solutions to complex socio-environmental issues.

2023 Raewyn Good Study Award for Māori and Pasifika Social Science Research

Pictured: Ana Below

The 2023 Raewyn Good Study Award for Māori and Pasifika Social Science Research of $6,000 has been awarded to Ana Below (Victoria University of Wellington) for  a project on “Māori mothers’ experiences of antenatal care in Aotearoa: The roles of support, wellbeing and cultural identity.”

Anahere ‘Ana’ Below (Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, and Ngāti Rangiwewehi) is a postgraduate psychology student at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, currently completing her Master of Science in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Ana's thesis, titled ‘Māori mothers’ experiences of antenatal care in Aotearoa: The roles of support, wellbeing and cultural identity’, focuses on analysing the accessibility of antenatal services for hapū Māori, health and wellbeing of mother and child during and after antenatal support, and the potential cultural disconnect of these services. "I will continue with my passion for intersectional and culturally safe healthcare for Māori wāhine, tamariki and whānau in 2024 with the Te Herenga Waka Clinical Psychology programme.”

This is the final year of the Award which was started in 2017 following funding from the Association of Social Science Research (ASSR) in the memory of the late Raewyn Good. Raewyn was an activist and a researcher in the social sciences.  Raewyn was also active in the Royal Society Council and was an integral member of the RSNZ’s Social Sciences Advisory Committee.  In addition to being a strong advocate for social science research, its development and its contribution to social policy and society, Raewyn has also been described as an anthropologist, a social researcher, a policy analyst, a community activist, a mentor for emerging social science researchers, and a supporter of community organisations.