Opportunity for Māori health researchers: NZUK Link Foundation

The Royal Society Te Apārangi will manage the annual application process for a Māori researcher to travel to the UK and spend 2–3 months at a university or research institute of their choice, working in medicine or public health. Researchers will also be supported to apply for the European Educational Programme in Epidemiology, a 3-week residential summer course.

Sally Martin, Chair of the NZUK Link Foundation says “this year marks the 35th anniversary of the NZUK Link Foundation. Since its establishment in 1990 as the Waitangi Foundation, under the patronage of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and The Princess Royal, the Foundation has fostered educational, cultural, and technological exchanges between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone by reaffirming our commitment to strengthening ties and expanding opportunities.”

Sally Martin and Her Excellency Ms Iona Thomas OBE

“These new Fellowships are enabled by the generosity of Dr Elman Poole, a neurologist and philanthropist from New Zealand. The Foundation already administers the Elman Poole Scholarships, which have long empowered young New Zealanders to develop their talents internationally in music and engineering. Dr Poole’s own medical training and career make these new opportunities for health researchers a particularly fitting extension of his legacy.”

Professor Neil Pearce, Fellow of the Society and Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says “I see great potential to establish links and develop collaborations which will benefit both Māori health researchers, and those they work with in the United Kingdom. There is much that we can learn from each other.” 

Her Excellency Ms Iona Thomas OBE, British High Commissioner to New Zealand, says “the NZUK Link Foundation embodies the deep ties between our two nations promoting mutual growth through the exchange of skills and innovative thinking. This new fellowship offers Māori health researchers an opportunity to collaborate with leading universities in the UK and return home with knowledge that will help the wellbeing of communities across New Zealand.”

Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding DNZM FRACP FRSNZ, President of the Society, says “this is a wonderful opportunity for early-career researchers in the fields of medicine or public health. I myself thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Oxford, and gained not only skills and knowledge, but also productive research collaborations and life-long friendships. We are delighted to be partnering with the NZUK Link Foundation to make this happen.”

The Society invites applications from 2 September 2025 to 19 January 2026.

View information about the application process, the NZUK Link Foundation, and the European Educational Programme in Epidemiology.

To submit applications or queries, please email: awards@royalsociety.org.nz