Twenty early-career researchers and two distinguished researchers receive inaugural Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships in 2024

The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships support researchers at different career stages to produce excellent and impactful research and to develop into leaders in their fields, their respective host organisations and across the whole of the Aotearoa New Zealand science, innovation and technology (SI&T) system. The Fellowships will develop and improve retention of future research leaders, support career development and enhance equity and diversity within the SI&T system.

The schemes target excellent candidates at three career stages: early-career researchers/future leaders building the foundations of their career (mana tūāpapa); mid-career researchers, further establishing themselves as research leaders (mana tūānuku); and distinguished researchers with expansive career success and a prominent international reputation (mana tūārangi).

At this time, we are announcing the results of two fellowships (Mana Tūāpapa and Mana Tūārangi) with the final fellowships (Mana Tūānuku) to be announced in mid-December 2024.

The Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship scheme receives government funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). This is managed and administered on behalf of the government by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

New Zealand Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship

New Zealand Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship awards a total value of $220,000 over one to two years.

The Chair of the Selection Panel, Professor Cather Simpson of Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland, said “The calibre of candidates applying for this inaugural, and prestigious, Fellowship was impressive with stellar international reputations. It is fantastic to see such excellent distinguished researchers selected through these Mana Tūārangi Fellowships and see they are ready to make broad impacts which will have downstream benefits for all of Aotearoa New Zealand.”

In 2024 the two fellowships have been awarded in the field of Physical and Engineering sciences and Mathematics to:

• Professor Christian Hartinger, The University of Auckland
• Professor Patricia Hunt, Victoria University of Wellington

New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship

Twenty New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship have been awarded to promising early career researchers. Each recipient has been awarded $820,000 over the next four years.

The research proposed by this group spans a wide range of research areas including development of new materials to enhance agricultural productivity and enable quantum computing, drawing on mātauranga Māori knowledge to combat modern problems like obesity, and development of new tools to help us prepare for natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanoes and extreme weather.

The Chair of the Selection Panel, Professor Renwick Dobson of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury stated, “It was a privilege to work with the selection panel and review such excellent Mana Tūāpapa early-career researchers. There is no doubt in my mind that they have the support to excel in their chosen research fields and the potential to become our future thought leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

The recipients are:

• Dr James Berghan, Victoria University of Wellington
• Dr Neil Birrell, The University of Auckland
• Dr William Holmes-Hewett, Victoria University of Wellington
• Dr Eileen Joy, The University of Auckland
• Dr Jeff Lang, Lincoln Agritech Ltd
• Dr Ngahuia Mita, Rehutai Consulting Ltd
• Dr Karamia Müller, The University of Auckland
• Dr William Pearman, The University of Auckland
• Dr Chris Puli’uvea, Auckland University of Technology
• Dr Farha Ramzan, The University of Auckland
• Dr Shane Rooyakkers, GNS Science
• Dr Rituparna Roy, University of Waikato
• Dr Alex Schuddeboom, University of Canterbury
• Dr Matthew Scobie, University of Canterbury
• Dr Rose Stuart, University of Otago
• Dr Stephanie Stuteley, The University of Auckland
• Dr Lauren Vinnell, Massey University
• Dr Ying Wang, The University of Auckland
• Dr Leighton Watson, University of Canterbury
• Dr Bicheng Zhu, The University of Auckland