About Tāwhia Te Mana Fellowships
Current Status: Expected to open May 2025
The completion of the inaugural 2024 Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships funding round presented an opportunity to review the scheme. Subsequently, research organisations and applicants were invited to comment on the funding round, and MBIE is currently analysing feedback with a view to identify any recommendations for improvement of the scheme to be implemented in the next round.
We expect the next round to open in May 2025, following completion of the review. The round timeline and any changes to the 2025 round will be advertised on this website and by direct email to participating research organisations’ research offices once confirmed.
Background
The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships are administered by Royal Society Te Apārangi (the Society) 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.
Objectives
The overriding objective of the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships is to develop the future leaders of the Aotearoa New Zealand science, innovation and technology system. The Fellowships will:
- 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
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
- New Zealand Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship
- New Zealand Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship.
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 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).