2024 Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship - Proposal guidelines for applicants

Application templates

2024 Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship

Proposal guidelines for applicants | Ngā aratohu tuku tono mā ngā kaitono

Background to the Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships | He whakamārama mō Tāwhia te Mana

The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships are administered by Royal Society Te Apārangi on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (the Ministry).

The Fellowships will 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. It is expected that Fellows, throughout their careers, will contribute to positive outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand, including by embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in their work and their community.

Receipt of an Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowship is expected to have significant value for the future career development and leadership potential of a researcher.

The Māori terms in the fellowship names reference the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s values, which includes Tāwhia tō Mana (building and retaining your reputation) as part of enabling the aspiration to “Hīkina Whakatutuki - Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for all”. Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships contribute to building excellence in the SI&T sector.

The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships consist of three schemes, targeted at early, mid- and established career researchers respectively. The three schemes are:

• New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship (discussed in these guidelines)
• New Zealand Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship
• New Zealand Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship

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).

New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships | Mana Tūāpapa

The application guidelines below provide applicants with information on how to apply for the New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship. The fellowship targets early-career researchers/future leaders building the foundations of their career (mana tūāpapa).

Objectives | Ngā whāinga

The New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships will support Aotearoa New Zealand’s talented early career researchers to establish the foundations of an excellent and impactful research career.

All Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships include the overriding objective to develop the future leaders of the Aotearoa New Zealand science, innovation and technology system, and:

• improve the retention of talented future research leaders within the SI&T system, both during the fellowship and in their post-fellowship careers, through development of a strong track record
• support career development, to empower Fellows to become leaders in their fields, their organisations and across the SI&T system
• improve equity and diversity within the SI&T system, in particular by creating opportunities for Māori, Pacific peoples and women who are excellent researchers and future leaders of research
• reward and support a range of boundary-pushing research activities, including those that focus on generating impact from research.

Description | Whakamāramatanga

Around twenty New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships of four years in length will be awarded annually, for research in any field based in an Aotearoa New Zealand host organisation.

Scheme operation | Whakahaere o te kaupapa

Fellowships are awarded on 0.8 Full Time Equivalent basis, unless otherwise agreed by Royal Society Te Apārangi. The remainder of Fellows’ time may be used for other research, teaching and non-research related development opportunities.

The duration of the Fellowship will be for four years. The Fellowship may be undertaken on a part-time basis to enable the Fellow to fulfil family and/or care responsibilities, including personal care, subject to agreement by the host and Royal Society Te Apārangi, in which case the duration of the Fellowship may be extended up to a maximum of eight years.

The total value of the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship is $820,000. The Fellowship will award per annum (excl. GST):

• $82,500 contribution to the researcher’s salary
• $82,500 in organisational overheads
• $40,000 for research-related expenses.

By exception, with agreement of the applicant, the host and Royal Society Te Apārangi, the contributions above may be shifted between the different components.

Rules | Ngā Ture

• A Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship applicant may not apply for another Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowship in the same funding round.
• A former successful applicant for a Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship may not apply for a second Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship.
• Successful applicants will commence their programme of research within twelve months of the award notification.
• Successful applicants may not engage in other professional employment during the Fellowship without prior approval by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Applicant eligibility | Āheinga o te Kaitono

To be eligible applicants must:

• be either a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
• be an early career researcher whose PhD was conferred within six years of the closing date for applications (PhD conferred on or after 25 July 2018). The eligibility period for PhD conferral may be extended beyond six years under any of the following scenarios at the discretion of Royal Society Te Apārangi
• extended sickness leave
• part-time employment or career interruptions because of care giving responsibilities. If the applicant has been the primary caregiver of a dependent child born after (or close to) the conferral of their PhD, the applicant is able to extend the period of eligibility by two years per child. The extension of two years per dependent child is inclusive of any periods of parental leave. There is no maximum identified
• to account for work or service in the community or an industry
• as otherwise agreed by Royal Society Te Apārangi.
• For the purposes of the New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships, applicants must have completed all requirements for their PhD to be conferred at the time of application
• be supported by a New Zealand-based research organisation, with a supporting declaration that affirms that:
• the applicant satisfies the eligibility criteria
• the applicant has good potential to develop and progress their research career
• it will employ the applicant at least for the duration of the Fellowship
• it will facilitate the provision of support and facilities to enable the applicant to succeed in their Fellowship for the duration of the Fellowship.

Host eligibility | Āheinga o te Kaitaurima

The host must be a New Zealand-based research organisation that can demonstrate it is capable and willing to provide support and facilities that will enable the applicant to succeed in their Fellowship.

The host cannot be a department of the public service as listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Public Service Act 2020.

Eligible hosts are research organisations based in New Zealand that meet the following definition: “An organisation that has sufficient internal capability for carrying out research, science or technology, or related activities in New Zealand.”

Additional requirement | Whakaritenga Tāpiri

In accordance with the Russia Sanctions Act 2022, the applicant and their research must not benefit a Russian state institution (including but not limited to support for Russian military or security activity) or an organisation outside government that may be perceived as contributing to the war effort.

Criteria | Paearu

The award criteria must ensure successful proposals are consistent with the background and objectives of the Fellowships stated above.

Applicants will be assessed on:

• applicant track record and potential to establish, re-enter or progress their career in research relative to opportunity
• the clear articulation of a research plan with high likelihood to deliver research outcomes
• suitability of the host’s capability to support the Fellow (including cultural support and commitment to embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi) throughout the Fellowship.

Selection process | Hātepe mō te tīpako

 The selection process will comprise an eligibility screening, a referee suitability filter followed by a stratified selection ballot, and a final review by an independent panel as set out in the following process diagram.

Note: Full arrows denote the path for successful applications at each stage. Black dashed arrows denote the path for applications that have not been selected in either the Māori or Pacific Ballots and have been re-distributed into subsequent ballots.

These processes are briefly described in more detail below.

Eligibility screening

Applications will be checked against the eligibility criteria set out above. Applications will also be checked for completeness.

Referee suitability filter

The referee suitability filter is used to determine if an applicant is suitable for a fellowship. Referees will be asked to score applicants, and provide additional comments, on a series of question about the applicant. These referee scores and comments are used by the selection panel to determine your suitability to receive a fellowship compared to other applicants. For more information on the type of questions, please see “Guidelines for Referees”.

The Mana Tūāpapa assessment panel will determine and apply a cutoff threshold based on scores provided by referees, and all applications above the threshold will enter the ballot.

In order to keep the recommendations of the referee anonymous, applicants will not be informed if they made the threshold for ballot or not.

Selection

A stratified selection ballot will be used to select recipients. The stratified selection ballot will ensure that:

• around 20 per cent of Fellowships are awarded to applicants who whakapapa Māori
• around 10 per cent of Fellowships are awarded to applicants who identify as being of Pacific ethnicity
• around 50 per cent of Fellowships are awarded to applicants who identify as female.

The Māori researcher ballot will be drawn first, until four[1] are selected. Unselected Māori applicants who also identify as Pacific Peoples will be added to the Pacific researcher ballot. Other unselected Māori applicants will be added to the General ballot.

The Pacific researcher ballot will be drawn next and will select two¹ applicants. Unselected Pacific applicants will be added to the General ballot.

The remaining 14 recipients will be drawn from the General ballot. The process will ensure that of the 20 total recipients, at least 10 recipients¹ will identify as female.

Final review

A final review of the balloted applications will be undertaken by the Mana Tūāpapa assessment panel. The panel is appointed by Royal Society Te Apārangi and chaired by the President of Royal Society Te Apārangi, or their nominee. The Panel will be appointed to ensure diverse organisational, ethnic and gender representation.

The Panel will:

• confirm the suitability threshold
• review each balloted application to ensure that the applicant’s track record demonstrates a potential to establish, re-enter or progress their career in research relative to opportunity
• assess that each applicant has clearly articulated a research plan with high likelihood to deliver research outcomes
• assess the suitability of the host’s capability to support the Fellow (including cultural support and commitment to embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi) throughout the Fellowship.

Applications that are assessed as not fulfilling the selection criteria will be disregarded and replaced by a new application selected from balloted reserve applications.

Closing date

Applications and supporting information must be submitted to the Royal Society Te Apārangi on the on-line portal by the closing date of Thursday 25 July 2024 at 2 pm (NZST).

Timetable | Wātaka

Additional information for applicants | Ētahi atu kōrero mā ngā kaitono

MBIE Open Research Policy

Royal Society Te Apārangi, as an administrator of Government research funding, has adopted the MBIE Open Research Policy. A condition of contract for successful proposals will therefore be that research outputs fully or partially arising from Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship funding must comply with the MBIE Open Research Policy.

Contact us

For any enquiries, please first seek clarification from your research office.

Please address enquiries by email to: tawhia@royalsociety.org.nz or phone: + 64 4 470 5764

Additional information on the Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships is available on our website.

Using the application portal | Te whakamahi i te tomokanga tono

This section contains guidance about what information is expected in each section of a Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship proposal.

Note: To apply for a Fellowship you must register with your selected host organisation, which will provide you with access to the Mana Tūāpapa online application portal.

Please read all the application information before you start the process.

Application format | Hōputu Tono

Proposals must be submitted on the Royal Society Te Apārangi online application portal (see “Sign up to portal” below).

The on-line application consists of information entered directly into the portal in combination with the upload of specific templates and documents. The limit on space in all sections of the templates should be adhered to and the typeface should be 11 point, Times or similar type font, single spacing (11 point), with margins of 2 cm on the left and 2 cm on the right sides of the page. Instructions in italic may be removed, but not the margins. No additional pages or attachments will be accepted other than where requested or required.

The following is an overview of all the sections of the application, an explanation for each section, and information on how to enter the information on the online application portal. 

Applying in te reo Māori

Applicants are welcome to submit some, or all, sections of their application in te reo Māori. As some panellists assessing their proposal may not be fluent in te reo Māori, an English translation of the section(s) will be necessary. To ensure the application is correctly interpreted, applicants are encouraged to provide an English translation for those sections in addition to their application in te reo Māori. If a translation is not provided by the applicant, Royal Society Te Apārangi will engage a third party accredited translation service to provide a translation, although, in this case, accuracy of the translation cannot be guaranteed. 

It is also acknowledged that expressing ideas and information in te reo Māori can require more words than English.  Therefore, the panel will accept an increase in word/page limit of approximately 30% for applications submitted in te reo Māori. This decision ultimately sits with the panel concerning necessary length, and appropriate outcome.

Sign up to the portal | Rēhita ki te tomokanga

Contact your research office in order to receive a link via email to the application portal. If your link does not arrive as expected, check your “junk” folder. If you have applied via this portal before (e.g., for the Prime Ministers Science Prize or Ngā Puanga Pūtaiao Fellowships), you will already have a profile. Please use this existing Username and Password for your Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship application. Otherwise, you will need to sign up to the portal.

It is preferred that all applicants sign up by adding or creating an ORCID iD, but this is not mandatory. Alternatively, you can sign up using a number of options using i.e. TUAKIRI; Google or create a new account.

• To sign up with ORCID click the green “Sign up with ORCID iD” option and add your 16 digit ORCID iD and password.
• To create an ORCID iD click the green “Sign up with ORCID iD” option and follow the link “Don’t have an ORCID iD yet? Register now” and follow the instructions.

Please continue to use the same logon for all interactions with Royal Society Te Apārangi portals.  Creating multiple user accounts will cause problems with your portal profile and records.

Personal profile

Every person (including applicants and referees) using the portal for the first time must create a profile and input at a minimum of the following (some fields may be auto filled from nomination, please ensure these are accurate):

• Name
• Contact email address
• Primary place of employment or education (Include completion date of current employment if on fixed term contract)
• Agree to the Privacy Statement
• Provide Protection Pattern settings

Other questions that are asked for making a profile are optional and if you do not wish to answer then please press “Next”. It is also possible to import the data for many of these sections from your ORCID profile if available.

Note: Royal Society Te Apārangi must ask to collect the Personal Profile information to be compliant with the New Zealand Research Information System (NZRIS).

Ethnicity and gender

One of the objectives of all Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowship schemes is to improve equity and diversity within the ST&I system, in particular by increasing opportunities for Māori, Pacific peoples and women. While supplying this profile information is entirely optional for applicants, please consider entering your gender and ethnicity information (particularly if you identify as a member of any of the priority groups), so that your application includes this information for the purposes of the selection ballot. You are also able to indicate any iwi group(s) to which you identify.

For the purposes of these Fellowships, Pacific ethnicity is intended to take into consideration the complex configurations and multiple ethnic identities of Pacific Peoples and cultures. It is intended to be inclusive of people who affirm their identity as Indigenous Pacific Peoples and those of Fijian Indian descent.

Privacy statement

You will need to read and agree to the “Privacy Statement” by ticking the check box.

Organisation affiliations (compulsory)

If you have received access to the portal via a research office nomination, this host will automatically be identified as your primary organisation. If it does not auto populate correctly you can enter your organisation manually.  Optionally you can add any other organisations that you are associated with. You are able to enter your position/job title and dates, please add a new entry for each organisation and role.

Career stages (optional)

Please select the research career stages that apply to you, and when you think they first applied. If not applicable or you do not wish to answer, please leave blank or select “Not Applicable”. This information is used for NZRIS reporting purposes only.

External IDs (optional)

Please enter any authenticated ORCID iD, Scopus ID, ResearcherID or other Identifier here.

Curriculum vitae (optional)

You are welcome to upload a copy of your CV here. Please note that this is separate from the Narrative CV that is required to be submitted for your application.

Academic record (optional)

Please enter your qualifications and course of study.

For applicants, please enter the details of your PhD Qualification including the date that your PhD was conferred under “Academic records”. If you degree has not yet been conferred, enter the date you expect to graduate in the future (if known).

Prizes and/or medals (optional)

Please enter information about any prizes or medals you may have won.

Professional bodies (optional)

You can enter any professional bodies that you belong to.

Protection pattern (compulsory)

You control how your information can be used by specifying the protection to be applied to your data. By default, your demographic details (gender) and birth date are kept private. For the purposes of the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship, demographics data on gender and ethnicity will be used to fulfil the Fellowships equity and diversity requirement as explained under “Objective” and “Selection Process” of the Terms of Reference. The data will additionally be used for statistical purposes to monitor the profile of different groups of applicants and identify funding trends and gaps.

If you are comfortable with sharing other demographic information with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, you may do so by de-selecting the tick box for the protection you wish to relax, or by toggling “no protection needed”.

Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship application | Tono ki te Mana Tūāpapa

Once all of the steps to obtain a profile have been completed, you will then be able to click on “Start Application” to progress to the application for a Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship. You can also Start or continue applications via the “Home” tab in the portal.

To ensure the application process goes smoothly, we recommend that you click “Save” regularly as you complete the application form. You will need to click “Edit” after saving to continue your application.

Applicant

Some of the applicant data will be pulled from your profile. Please ensure that all required fields (marked*) are correct and complete, including Postal address, City and Postcode.

Categories

The collection of this data is for the purpose of our reporting obligations to NZRIS, for statistical purposes to track application numbers and success across different fields of research, and to provide information to the selection panel for the assessment of your proposal.

Research experience in years (Post PhD)

Please enter the number of years of research experience you have attained after conferment of your doctoral degree. This should be a whole number (round where needed) between zero to six years and exclude any agreed career interruptions (e.g. accounting for extended sickness leave, part-time employment or career interruptions as a result of care giving responsibilities, work or service in the community or an industry, see eligibility criteria). Periods of part-time work can be factored in by multiplying the length of time with the FTE component for the period, e.g. 1 year working at 0.5 FTE counts for half a year of research experience etc…

Applicants should additionally list the same years of research experience in narrative CV template in the field “Total years of relevant experience post PhD” and describe any “Career break events” in the section immediately below in section 1 of the Narrative CV template. This information will aid panellists in assessing your proposal, under the selection criteria, relative to the opportunity you have had. Royal Society Te Apārangi reserves the right to request further documentation supporting your stated years of research experience.

A career gaps calculator is available on the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader website to assist you in determining your years of research experience post-PhD.

If you are unsure about your eligibility, we recommend you get in touch with Royal Society Te Apārangi prior to making an application.

Type of activities

The four activities are:

• Pure basic research (default setting): is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge without looking for long term benefits other than the advancement of knowledge.
• Strategic basic research: is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge directed into specified broad areas in the expectation of practical discoveries. It provides the broad base of knowledge necessary for the solution of recognised practical problems.
• Applied research: is original work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge with a specific application in view. It is undertaken either to determine possible uses for the findings of basic research or to determine new ways of achieving some specific and predetermined objectives.
• Experimental development: is systematic work, using existing knowledge gained from research or practical experience, which is directed to producing new materials, products, devices, policies, behaviours or outlooks; to installing new processes, systems and services; or to improving substantially those already produced or installed.

Socio-economic objectives (SEO)

The Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) and SEO classification allow Research and Development (R&D) activity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to be categorised according to the intended purpose or outcome of the research rather than the processes or techniques used in order to achieve this objective. The purpose categories include processes, products, health, education and other social and environmental aspects in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand that R&D activity aims to improve. Please enter up to FIVE codes from the drop-down field, using codes that are as specific as possible. For a list of codes, please refer to the Socio-Economic Objectives Calculator at: https://royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/research-practice/socio-economic-objectives-calculator/

As part of our NZRIS obligations, we will be required to report the share of each SEO code to the proposed research. Please indicate the % share of each SEO code to the proposed research. The shares should add up to 100%.

Fields of research (FOR)

The FOR classification allows R&D activity to be categorised according to the field of research. In this respect, it is the methodology used in the R&D that is being considered. Please enter a minimum of THREE and up to FIVE codes from the list of research codes supplied in “Fields of Research Classification Codes” here. For a list of codes, please refer to the Field of Research Calculator at: https://royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/research-practice/field-of-research-calculator/. Please use codes that are as specific as possible, i.e. 6 digits.

As part of our NZRIS obligations, we will be required to report the share of each FOR code to the proposed research. Please indicate the % share of each FOR code to the proposed research. The shares should add up to 100%.

Vision Mātauranga themes

Vision Mātauranga is a policy about innovation, opportunity and the creation of knowledge that highlights the potential contribution of Māori knowledge, resources and people.

Applicants should identify which, if any, of the four Vision Mātauranga themes below are associated with the proposed research. A Vision Mātauranga theme must be included for all research that has relevance for Māori. The panel has an expectation for applicants to address Vision Mātauranga where applicable. If this is not applicable to your proposed research, you should tick N/A, and provide a justifiable rationale for your decision.

The four themes are:

• Indigenous Innovation, which involves contributing to economic growth through distinctive research and development
• Taiao, which is concerned with achieving environmental sustainability through iwi and hapū relationships with land and sea
• Hauora/Oranga, which centres around improving health and social wellbeing
• Mātauranga, which involves exploring indigenous knowledge.

Collection of the % of the research that aligns to each Vision Mātauranga theme will form part of our reporting obligations for NZRIS. If you have identified one or more Vision Mātauranga theme(s), please consider each theme one at a time. Indicate the proportion of the proposed research that aligns with that theme. Note that it is possible for the combined total to be over 100% (for example, if the proposed research is entirely Mātauranga and also has a Hauora/Oranga theme, the contributions could be 100% and 10% respectively).

Please note that the percentages do not form part of the assessment criteria and are solely for NZRIS reporting purposes.

For more information on engagement with the Vision Mātauranga Policy see Appendix I.

Summary and forms

Title of proposed research

Please provide a title that describes the nature of your proposed programme of research. Keep the title brief and to the point. It may be used for reporting and public information.

Summary

Please provide a summary of the planned project suitable for a lay audience with some limited research knowledge, and using a maximum of 300 words. It may be used for reporting and public information.

Curriculum vitae: Narrative CV

Applicants may use a total page limit of FOUR pages for their CV.

Please use the template provided which is based on the Endeavor Fund Narrative CV with minor amendments to align the template with the requirements of the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship. Further information on Narrative CVs including examples and a webinar can be found on the MBIE website. Note that the CV template for Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships uses a smaller 11 point font than the MBIE template to provide a consistent font size across the application. This accounts for the reduced 4 page limit.

Application form: Host support of Fellow

As set out in the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship Terms of Reference, hosts must demonstrate their capability to support the individual Fellow (including cultural support and commitment to embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi) throughout the Fellowship. This section has a total page limit of ONE page to address this requirement. This could include, but is not limited to, information about how the host:

• Will provide appropriate and timely support (including appropriate cultural support) for the fellow, their research programme, and their career development during (and potentially beyond) the Fellowship
• Will support the Fellow to develop a strong track record and become leaders in their field, their organisations and across the SI&T system
• Will support the Fellow to embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in their research and community
• Upholds the principles and values of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Where relevant, will provide support structures and/or services for Māori, Pacific peoples and women more generally. These could include associations, groups, programmes, partnerships, mentorship, dedicated cultural support staff, etc…
• Where relevant, support the Fellow to develop and maintains connections with Māori and Pacific Communities
• Any other relevant information.

It is expected that a duly authorised person(s) at the host organisation will complete this section.

Application form: Proposed research

• If no Vision Mātauranga theme is identified for this application, the TOTAL page limit for this section is THREE pages, with no set limit for each section within this. You may delete the Vision Mātauranga section from the template.
• If one or more Vision Mātauranga theme is identified for this application, the TOTAL page limit is FOUR pages, with no set limit for each section within this.

This gives applicants an opportunity to more easily integrate Vision Mātauranga into the conceptual framework and/or research design of the proposed programme, for example, demonstration of consultation, linkages, outcomes or other relevant information. Alternatively, applicants may choose to gather all relevant Vision Mātauranga information under the separate Vision Mātauranga heading, or use any combination of information across the various sections of the template. For more information on Vision Mātauranga, see Appendix I.

NOTE: the additional space of up to one page provided for proposals aligned with a Vision Mātauranga theme is for providing additional information related to Vision Mātauranga. Applications that fill this space with information that is not relevant to Vision Mātauranga will be seen less favourably by the panel than applications that fulfil the intent of the extra space.

The scope of research may be broader than that of a single defined project, where there is often a limited three-year period in which to complete the proposed objectives. It should be possible to address some of the larger themes of a research area in the four-year term of a programme of research. In doing so, you may have more than one specific question or inter-related projects to pursue.

The Proposed Research Template has four headings. It is up to the applicant to decide on how much space to allocate to each section. Please read the definitions of these sections clearly and avoid repetition.

Background

Please use this section to give an overview of the design and rationale of the proposed research, and indicate how it relates to work already done, by yourself and/or others, in this field. This section should give a context for the proposal by summarising in plain language the state of knowledge in the field. Please give consideration to offering both a primary design and an alternative plan.

Research Plan

Please use this section to clearly state your proposed research objectives, methods, timetable, data sources, and how you plan to transfer the knowledge gained from your research.

Vision Mātauranga

As noted above, applicants may integrate Vision Mātauranga into the conceptual framework and/or research design of the proposed Research Plan above, e.g., demonstration of consultation, linkages, outcomes or other relevant information. Alternatively, applicants may choose to gather all relevant Vision Mātauranga information under this separate heading, or use any combination thereof.

References

It is important to support the Research Plan by means of references. Please ensure that these are not restricted to your own work. Please also ensure that the references have been published, to ensure that they are readily accessible when the proposal is being assessed. Authors must verify all references.

• The list can be in 10-point font size.
• Start each reference on a new line (numbering is optional).
• For three or more authors, list the first three names followed by “et al.”
• Ensure you include the journal name (abbreviated if desired), year of publication, volume number and page numbers.
• If you wish, you can bold your own references.

Budget

Download the Mana Tūāpapa Leader Fellowship budget spreadsheet template. There are four components to this budget, each on a separate worksheet: Budget, Direct costs, Sub-contractors, and Other funding. When the Direct costs and Sub-contractors worksheets are completed, the front Budget worksheet should automatically update these line items.

Vision Mātauranga costs

If a proposal contains one or more Vision Mātauranga themes, it is essential that any costs associated with Vision Mātauranga capability development and engagement are accounted for in the budget. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• research assistant time
• student stipend support
• costs of engagement or consultation (direct expenses; e.g. donation to the organisation or marae committee as a way of recognising expertise and contribution; koha; vouchers; providing resources such as books or research findings to the communities involved
• costs of dissemination (direct expenses; e.g. hui).

Salaries

The figures in this category are to cover only the costs of personnel employed on the research proposal in the application. This should include the direct costs (i.e. salary) and salary related costs (for example, superannuation, ACC and fringe benefits). The salary and salary-related costs combined for the Fellow may not exceed the Fellowship’s contribution to the Fellow’s (researcher’s) salary listed under “Scheme Operation.”

Any subcontracted personnel should not be included in this section but incorporated under the Sub-contractors worksheet.

The FTEs of personnel shown in the budget page should only be those where costs and time are associated with Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship funding. If this funding is not sought for particular individuals (for example, overseas investigators, post-doctoral researchers with stand-alone fellowships, or postgraduate students with other sources of funding) then the individual should still be named on the budget page, but with zero FTEs recorded.

Post-doctoral researchers may be part-time or full-time on your proposal. Please check with your host organisation for more information.

Postgraduate students are awarded scholarships free of income tax and may be supported on your proposal on a fixed-rate basis. This is set at $35,000 stipend per year, plus fees (Aotearoa New Zealand resident rates) for PhD students or $22,000 stipend plus fees (Aotearoa New Zealand resident rates) for Masters students. These figures assume the postgraduate students are assigned to the research on a full-time basis. Fees should be included in the direct costs.

Please note that the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellow must be the primary supervisor for the postgraduate student for the student to be funded from fellowship funding. PhD students funded by Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship funding must begin their studies in the first year of the Fellowship unless otherwise approved by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Indirect costs

Fellowships are accompanied by an award of $82,500 per year contribution to host organisation overheads. This is represented under indirect costs on the budget spreadsheet. If applicable, indicate the cost of any additional overheads that relate to personnel other than the Fellow. These should be directly proportional to the time spent on the programme of research. Overheads include managerial time not included in the proposal, the cost of support services, the cost of financial and accounting systems, corporate activities, the cost of premises and other indirect costs. Cost of premises may be either the annual rental cost, or the depreciation cost of premises and should be proportional to the project's use of the organisation's premises for the research proposed.

An example of a budget worksheet appears below (please note the recognised contribution of other funding sources in the first year of the proposed budget).

Direct costs

Expendables, Equipment depreciation/rental and Sub-contractors need to be further explained on the Direct costs worksheet of the spreadsheet.

Expendables

This category should include the general operating expenses associated with the research proposal such as consumables, travel (for conferences, collaboration etc…), costs associated with Vision Mātauranga, student fees (but not stipends), capital purchases under $5,000, and other miscellaneous costs associated with research. This does not mean that equipment, such as a spectrometer, can be divided into separate components all less than $5,000 each. Details of expendables should be given on the Direct costs worksheet. Please give details of major working expenses.

Equipment depreciation/rental

The Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship scheme does not fund the purchase of equipment directly but may allow for an annual depreciation or rental cost. In the case of rental costs, the share of the total cost of the equipment should be proportional to the use of the equipment as outlined in the proposal.

Many organisations make a general provision for depreciation in their overhead costs. If this is the case, depreciation costs should be incorporated in “Indirect Costs” as Overheads.

An example of a Direct costs worksheet appears below.

Sub-contractors

Break down the sub-contractors into costs per year for each organisation. If required, please insert more sub-contractors in the sub-contractor worksheet of the spreadsheet.

Any costs, where services are purchased from other organisations, should be included in this section. Where personnel are sub-contractors they should be shown in this section, named, and their time-commitments shown in the FTE column.

Where a sub-contractor is an Aotearoa New Zealand research organisation, please break down costs per year into salary, overheads and direct costs. Other sub-contractors (for example, private individuals) may provide the annual cost as a single figure in the budget, rather than breaking down the costs.

An example of a sub-contractors worksheet appears below.

Other funding

Fellows are permitted, and encouraged, to continue to be involved with existing or new projects where the research projects are aligned with the objectives of their Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship. In these situations, Fellows should use released funds to support others to assist with these projects. After award of a Fellowship, details of the variations are subject to agreement by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Where other funding for research relevant to the proposal is being provided or sought, it must be detailed here in the Other Funding worksheet of the budget spreadsheet. It is appreciated that the applicant will be involved in applications to other funding sources, or have funding for related work. This is to be encouraged. However, to assist in the assessment of the Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships the panel needs to be aware of other funding applied for or received.

Indicate whether non- Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship funding (for example, Marsden Fund, Health Research Council (HRC), Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE), Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), Commercial, Other) has been: (i) received; or, (ii) applied for, for this or for research relevant to this proposal. Include information on the FTEs applied for or received from non- Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship government funding sources.

An example of an Other funding worksheet appears below.

Application form: Translation

If you have completed any or all sections of your application in te reo Māori, and wish to submit an English translation, please upload a concatenated document of any translated sections here.

Document: Proof of citizenship or permanent residency

Proof of citizenship or copy of a permanent resident visa must be scanned and uploaded to the application portal. Original or certified copies of the documents may be requested by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Document: PhD certificate or completion of requirements

PhD certificate or other evidence must be scanned and uploaded to the application portal demonstrating the date your PhD was conferred or that you have submitted all requirements for your degree at the time of application. If successful, the Fellowship will be awarded on the condition that all requirements have been met for their PhD to be conferred. Original or certified copies of the documents may be requested by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Document: Declaration

A declaration form signed by you, and a duly authorised agent at the host organisation confirming that the proposed host organisation supports the application, and that the applicant is eligible (see Eligibility section).

Referees

To support the panel decision, we ask applicants to solicit three referee reports to support their proposal. If your PhD was conferred less than three years ago, one of your referees must be your PhD supervisor unless otherwise approved by Royal Society Te Apārangi. The panel will be unable to fairly and equitably compare your application to others if it does not have a full complement of three referee reports. You will therefore be required to secure three referee to support your application by the closing date of Wednesday 21 August 2024 at 2pm (NZST).

At least two of your referees should be able to comment on your capability and/or potential as a researcher. Where relevant, you may choose to have one referee comment on other aspects important for your career as a researcher, e.g. working with communities, stakeholder relationships, demonstration of leadership, research service or any other aspects you see relevant. Referees are asked comment on your abilities, relative to opportunity, in a series of questions on various aspects of a research career. Referees also have an opportunity to give a free text reference of the applicant to provide other commentary. Referees are asked to indicate in what capacity they know the applicant and to detail any real or perceived conflict of interest. For more information about the referee reports and the questions we ask referees, please see “Guidelines for Referees”.

Referee reports will be treated as confidential by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Conflicts of interest

We want to make sure that there is a practically and procedurally fair process to apply to Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader. Therefore, we will aim to take into account real and perceived conflicts of interest between applicants, referees and panel members along the application and assessment process.

Referees should ideally not have a direct conflict of interest with the applicant, i.e. they should not hold a line of management role over the applicant at the proposed host organisation, and they should not be directly involved in the applicant’s proposed research, as funding of the application would be seen to benefit the referee. An exemption to this rule is allowed for the supervisor of an applicant’s PhD programme for applicants with their PhD conferred less than three years ago as discussed above. If possible, it is recommended to use referees you have not co-published within the last 5 years. However, it is recognized that this is inherently more difficult for researchers who recently completed their PhD compared to researchers at a later stage in their career, so this will be assessed flexibly and within context by the assessment panel.

It is expected and acknowledged that each participant in the application and assessment process will have a range of outside interests and obligations. We also imagine you will likely have wide-ranging whakapapa and whanaunga relationships across Aotearoa and the rest of the Pacific due to whānau, iwi, hapū, motu/island, community and research sector ties. We believe that the best approach to deal with potential conflicts of interest is:

• for some relationships to be generally considered conflicted
• to clearly outline, and declare, a perceived conflict as it arises
• for all participants to be flexible in navigating potential conflicts
• for a clear record of the nature of any perceived conflict and the action taken in accounting for this to be noted/documented

For the purposes of Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader applications, a referee is generally deemed to be conflicted if:

• they are a panel member in the current funding round.
• they are the applicant’s parent, sibling or child.
• they have a low level of comfort assessing the application due to their relationship with the applicant.

Entering referees into the portal

It is recommended that you first ensure your proposed referees are willing to provide the Royal Society Te Apārangi with a referee report before the referee report closing date listed in the timeline.

All referees listed by the applicant in their application by the application closing date, will be emailed by Royal Society Te Apārangi after the application closing date. This is the only time we will email referees on behalf of the applicant. The referee email invite contains a URL link to a separate online portal to be used for referees to upload their reports.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that your referees complete their report on the portal no later than the closing date for referee reports. To be eligible for a Fellowship, a complete set of referee reports must be received by Royal Society Te Apārangi by the deadline for referee reports stated in the time timetable.

To ensure this happens, it is prudent for you to check that the referee has received the invitation to review your application and the URL link. Occasionally, the email that is automatically generated it is inadvertently identified as spam and ends up in a “junk” folder. If a referee does not receive their URL, please ask them to check their “junk” folder or contact tawhia@royalsociety.org.nz.

You can check if Royal Society Te Apārangi has received each of the applicant-solicited referee reports by logging in to the application portal and go to the Referee section. An envelope symbol in the Status section indicates an email has been sent, and a tick symbol indicates the referee report has been received.

Adding additional referees

Although past experience has shown that most referees only complete their reports in the last few days, it may be wise for applicants to contact their referees and confirm that a report is still expected.

If an applicant is concerned that one of their referees will not complete a report in time, they do have the option of approaching an alternative referee. However, do note that Royal Society Te Apārangi will only accept the first three reports received.

To add additional referees, applicants can log on to the portal and add contact details for additional referees. Once their details are entered in the portal, using the “Submit” button to send the referee the appropriate information. Again, it is advised that the applicant check that the referees have received the invitation to review their application after the email request has been sent from the web-based portal.

At the deadline for referee reports, applicants are given a 24-hour period to solicit any missing or new referee reports needed to obtain three referee reports.

Terms and conditions

Please read and tick the check box to confirm you accept the Terms and Conditions.

Submitting your application

Once you are happy with your application, click “Submit”. This flags to your research office that the proposal has been completed and can be released to Royal Society Te Apārangi. If you need to make changes to your application after you have marked it as completed, you must confer with your research office. 

Appendix I: Vision Mātauranga | Āpitihanga I: Vision Mātauranga

Vision Mātauranga is a policy about innovation, opportunity and the creation of knowledge that highlights the potential contribution of Māori knowledge, resources and people.

Applicants must identify which, if any, of the four Vision Mātauranga themes below are associated with the proposed research. If this is not applicable to your proposed research, you must tick N/A AND provide a brief rationale for this decision.

The four themes are:

• Indigenous Innovation, which involves contributing to economic growth through distinctive research and development
• Taiao, which is concerned with achieving environmental sustainability through iwi and hapū relationships with land and sea
• Hauora/Oranga, which centres around improving health and social wellbeing
• Mātauranga, which involves exploring indigenous knowledge.

Collection of the % contribution of each Vision Mātauranga theme to the proposed research will form part of our reporting obligations for NZRIS. If you have ticked one or more Vision Mātauranga themes, please consider each theme one at a time. Indicate the proportion of the proposed research that aligns with that theme. It is possible for the combined total to be over 100% (for example, if the proposed research is entirely Mātauranga and also has a Hauora/Oranga theme, the contributions could be 100% and 10% respectively).

If one or more themes apply to your proposed research programme, up to one additional page will be available for the "Proposed research” section of the application. This gives applicants an opportunity to more easily integrate Vision Mātauranga into the conceptual framework and/or research design of the proposed programme, for example, demonstration of consultation, linkages, outcomes or other relevant information. Alternatively, applicants may to choose to gather all relevant Vision Mātauranga information under a separate heading, or use any combination of information across the “Proposed research” section. Aspects of Vision Mātauranga relating to relevant experience can be included in the “Narrative CV”. Where Vision Mātauranga is appropriate to a proposal, it can contribute to the assessment of its overall excellence.

How do I decide whether my proposal aligns with Vision Mātauranga?

The five ways of conceptualising Vision Mātauranga in your research (see below) may help you decide if this applies to your project. The categories have been adapted from those on the National Science Challenge, Biological Heritage website https://bioheritage.nz/about-us/vision-matauranga/ hosted by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Please note, however, that these categories are fluid. There may well be overlap between them in terms of the nature and degree of relevance to Māori, and not every point in each category need apply. The original categories were set out by MBIE in information for the Endeavour Fund c. 2015.

Ways of conceptualising Vision Mātauranga in your research

Research with no specific Māori component

• No mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) is used.
• Māori are not associated with the research process (e.g. not on any research management / advisory / governance panels, it is not inclusive of Māori land or institutions, nor the subject of any component of the research).
• Work is not likely to be of greater direct relevance to Māori than members of any other group.

Research specifically relevant to Māori

• There is specific relevance to Māori.
• Mātauranga Māori may be used in a minor way to guide the work and its relevance to Māori.
• It includes work that contributes to Māori aspirations and outcomes.

Research involving Māori

• Mātauranga Māori may be incorporated in the project, but is not central to the project.
• Research is specifically and directly relevant to Māori and Māori are involved in the design and/or undertaking of the research.
• The work typically contributes to Māori (e.g., iwi / hapū, organisations) aspirations and outcomes.

Māori-centred research

• The project is Māori led, and where Mātauranga Māori is used alongside other knowledges (e.g. through frameworks, models, methods, tools, etc...).
• Kaupapa Māori research is a key focus of the project.
• Research is typically collaborative or consultative, with direct input from Māori stakeholders.
• There is alignment with and contribution to Māori (e.g., iwi / hapū, organisations) aspirations.

Kaupapa Māori research

• Mātauranga Māori is incorporated, used and understood, as a central focus of project and its findings.
• Research is grounded in te ao Māori and connected to Māori philosophies and principles.
• Research typically uses kaupapa Māori research methodologies.
• Te reo Māori may be a central feature to this kaupapa or research activity, and the applicant has medium to high cultural fluency or knowledge of tikanga and reo.
• The research is generally led by a Māori researcher; non-Indigenous researchers may carry out research under the guidance/mentoring of a Māori researcher.
• Māori participation (iwi/hapū/marae/individual) is high.
• The work contributes strongly to Māori (e.g., iwi/hapū, organisations) aspirations and outcomes and is mana enhancing.

Developing a Vision Mātauranga statement

The Vision Mātauranga statement can be integrated into your proposed research or provided as a separate statement.

It is important to keep in mind that there is no single approach or prescription for Vision Mātauranga: one size does not fit all and there are many possible ways of addressing Vision Mātauranga. Vision Mātauranga should not, however, be seen as an add-on, nor should it be treated as separate from the research, methods or people involved in the project. A holistic approach that considers reciprocity and relationships is therefore desirable. It is also essential that any costs associated with Vision Mātauranga capability development and engagement are accounted for in the budget.

Vision Mātauranga does not begin and end with your Vision Mātauranga statement. You should document how you have considered Vision Mātauranga and demonstrate applicable actions and relationships throughout the research. The following questions may be useful to consider when conceptualising and writing your project:

• Have you co-created the research topic/issue with an iwi or Māori organisation?
• What does working in partnership with iwi mean to you as a researcher?
• To what extent have you discussed the research with Māori stakeholders and agreed on the methodology you will use?
• Was there full disclosure and informed consent to the proposed research with Māori stakeholders? How has that agreement/informed consent been agreed to?
• Has the budget been disclosed and agreed to with Māori partners? Is there provision in that budget for Māori involvement, capability development and consultation?
• What provisions have you made to ensure there is appropriate technology transfer to Māori stakeholders as the research proceeds and as findings become available towards the end of the project?
• Are there benefits to Māori? What are they? And how have these been agreed with Māori partners?
• How is the project an opportunity to build the capacity of Māori researchers or students in your discipline?
• How will you share the research outcomes with Māori?
• Has there been agreement about the intellectual property ownership of research findings with Māori partners? What is the nature of that agreement?
• Is there a need for members of the research team to be proficient in te reo Māori? How has this aspect been addressed?
• Is there a Tiriti o Waitangi component or requirement in your research?
• Is the research mana enhancing?

Vision Mātauranga resources

Below you will find a non-exhaustive list of published resources that describe, discuss, and talk about how researchers have engaged with Vision Mātauranga and kaupapa Māori research. These range from early conceptions of Vision Mātauranga to more recent frameworks. The resources underscore the diverse ways Vision Mātauranga may be approached across disciplines and methodologies.

For a glossary provided to panellists and referees of commonly used Māori concepts, words and phrases commonly seen in Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship proposals, please see Appendix II: Glossary of te reo Māori terms.

Allen, W., Jamie M. Ataria, J. M., Apgar, J. M., Harmsworth, G., and Tremblay, L. A. (2009). Kia pono te mahi putaiao—doing science in the right spirit. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 39:4, 239-242. DOI: 10.1080/03014220909510588

Crawford, S. (2009). Matauranga Maori and western science: The importance of hypotheses, predictions and protocols, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 39:4, 163-166. DOI: 10.1080/03014220909510571

Broughton, D. (Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Taranaki, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi), and McBreen, K. (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu). (2015). Mātauranga Māori, tino rangatiratanga and the future of New Zealand science. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 45:2, 83-88.DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2015.1011171

Kana, F. and Tamatea, K. (2006). Sharing, listening, learning and developing understandings of Kaupapa Māori research by engaging with two Māori communities involved in education. Waikato Journal of Education, 12, 9-20. https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/6198/Kana%20Sharing.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Macfarlane, S., Macfarlane, A. and Gillon, G. (2015) Sharing the food baskets of knowledge: Creating space for a blending of streams. In A. Macfarlane, S. Macfarlane, M. Webber, (eds.), Sociocultural realities: Exploring new horizons. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press, 52-67.

Moewaka Barnes, H. (2006). Transforming Science: How our Structures Limit Innovation. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand Te Puna Whakaaro, 29, 1-16. https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj29/29-pages-1-16.pdf

Pihama, L., Tiakiwai, S.-J., and Southey, K. (eds.). (2015). Kaupapa rangahau: A reader. A collection of readings from the Kaupapa Rangahau workshops series. (2nd ed.). Hamilton, New Zealand: Te Kotahi Research Institute. https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/11738/Kaupapa%20Rangahau%20-%20A%20Reader_2nd%20Edition.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y

Smith, L. T., Maxwell, T. K., Puke, H., and Temara, P. (2016). Indigenous knowledge, methodology and mayhem: What is the role of methodology in producing indigenous insights? A discussion from Mātauranga Māori. Knowledge Cultures, 4(3), 131–156. https://addletonacademicpublishers.com/component/content/article?id=2834:feature-article-indigenous-knowledge-methodology-and-mayhem-what-is-the-role-of-methodology-in-producing-indigenous-insights-a-discussion-from-matauranga-maori

Appendix II: Glossary of te reo Māori terms | Āpitihanga II: Papakupu o ngā kupu reo Māori

Definitions taken from maoridictionary.co.nz

Ka mihi ki a Ahorangi Angus Macfarlane, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, mō tēnei. With thanks to Professor Angus Macfarlane, University of Canterbury, for his input.

[1] Please note these absolute numbers provided are based on the assumption that 20 fellowships will be awarded in a given year. If the total number of fellowships to be awarded varies from 20 in a given year, the numbers drawn from the ballot will be adjusted accordingly to ensure the percentages of specific demographics are maintained.