Explore as a

What we do Our funds and opportunities Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Roadshow

Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships - General Information

Changes for the 2026 Round

Policy Intent and Design

Eligibility

Ethnicity and Gender

Application Content

Application and Referee Portal

Roadshow

A roadshow is scheduled for TBA

The webinar roadshows will provide potential applicants and research offices with an opportunity to ask questions about any Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship. 

Please note that you need to pre-register for this event by following the the link above.

Recordings of roadshows will become available for viewing after the event.

Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships - General Information

What are the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships?

The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships are a major investment in our research workforce, designed to better support a range of research organisations and talented future research leaders across career stages. The new Fellowships will replace the previous Royal Society Te Apārangi-Led Fellowships for Excellence scheme (Rutherford Discovery, Rutherford Foundation and James Cook Research Fellowships) to provide greater support to more Fellows each year.

Why has this scheme been created?

The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships are one part of a package of announced initiatives to address the changing needs of the science, innovation and technology sector and its varied workforce, including meeting skills shortages, improving career stability, increasing collaboration and mobility, and providing more opportunity for workforce diversity.

What do you hope to achieve with the new fellowships?

The objective of the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships is to develop and retain the future leaders of our science, innovation and technology system. It is expected of these fellowships to provide more opportunities for researchers; recognise and reward a broader range of research achievements; and support a wider range of boundary-pushing research activities. The investment profile of these fellowships is intended to ensure that fellows can be hosted by a larger variety of research organisations.

How are the Tāwhia Fellowships being funded?

Budget 2023 allocated $44.38 million over four years in new funding for fellowships for emerging talent. This is baselined and, added to the existing funding, brings the full amount to around $27 million a year. This roughly triples MBIE’s direct investment in research fellowships. This funding will invest in around 300 fellows over the next decade, awarding around 20 early-career, around 10 mid-career and 1 to 2 distinguished researcher fellowships each year.

Following an open tender process to determine a provider for the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships, the Royal Society Te Apārangi were selected to administer the Fellowships on MBIE’s behalf.

Why are you ending the Rutherford Foundation, Rutherford Discovery and James Cook Research Fellowships?

The previous portfolio of fellowships needed to be updated to be fit-for-purpose so New Zealand can develop a research workforce that meets public and private sector needs. The purchasing power of the funding had eroded over the years and there was a gap in investment in early career stages, which we know is a crucial stage to keep the workforce so they can continue on to be research leaders for New Zealand.

Given the significant uplift in salary and overhead contribution and standardisation of fellowship term length for a number of the fellowships that will be distributed, MBIE found these changes are significant enough that it is important to distinguish the old portfolio from the new one and from other similar international offerings. While there are fewer changes to the distinguished researcher fellowship offering, MBIE decided to increase the flexibility of the terms and shift the assessment criteria as part of the wider Tāwhia Fellowships portfolio.

Therefore, the Budget 2023 workforce support initiative package was focussed on creating a larger and enhanced scheme of fellowships to replace these older fellowships, as well as creating an applied doctorates scheme. MBIE intends these Fellowships to:

  • deliver improved career outcomes
  • provide better funding for fellows and host organisations
  • encourage a wider range of research organisations to host fellows
  • simplify the application processes.

How are the ‘new’ fellowships different from the ‘old’ ones?

The Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships have been designed to develop and retain the future leaders of New Zealand’s science, innovation and technology system.

The value of the awards is significantly increased from the current rates to reflect salary and overhead costs. The duration for the Tūāpapa early-career fellowships will be increased to four years to allow greater opportunities for career development, including doctoral student supervision and competing for contestable funding processes. A streamlined application and assessment process will reduce the burden of applications while improving accessibility for Māori and Pacific peoples, who are underrepresented in the research workforce.

What happens to existing fellows still receiving funding from the ‘old’ fellowships?

The Rutherford Discovery, Rutherford Foundation and James Cook Research Fellowships will no longer be offered from 2024, but researchers undertaking these fellowships will continue to be supported at the current funding levels for the duration of those awards. The Royal Society Te Apārangi will continue to manage these fellows for the duration of existing awards.

Who is eligible to apply?

The new fellowships have three schemes that are tailored to support researchers at different career stages to produce excellent and impactful research and to develop into leaders of the Aotearoa New Zealand research system.

Complete eligibility criteria are available in the Terms of Reference.

What is the duration and award values of the new Fellowships?

The three individual schemes under the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships have the following durations and award values that are designed to support the Fellow to succeed at their particular career stage:

The Rutherford Discovery Fellowship was for 5 years. Why is this new Fellowship better?

The fellowships include salary contributions and research expenses appropriate for a mid-career researcher. They will encourage a greater diversity of both applicants and hosts, and have improved overhead funds which will provide better support to the fellows during while they complete the fellowship.

When do applications open?

The 2026 round of the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships is open for applications from 01 May to 09 July 2026. Results are expected to be announced in November-December 2026.

How many Fellowships will be awarded?

We expect the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships will support about 30 new Fellowships each year, consisting of:

The actual number of Fellows able to be supported each year will be determined by the applicant pool and the outcomes of the assessment process.

Why is there a focus on early-career researchers with these new schemes?

Researchers at early career stages are particularly vulnerable to dropping out of the system, and structural barriers can make it challenging for researchers to re-enter the science, innovation and technology system. The previous fellowships did not provide much support for those who had recently received their PhD, so the fellowships and applied doctorates are therefore targeted at providing an increased number of opportunities and more diverse career pathways for researchers at these career stages. This will ensure Aotearoa New Zealand has the vibrant, diverse and skilled science, innovation and technology workforce it needs to take on the opportunities and challenges ahead.

There will still be the same amount of fellowships offered for mid-career and distinguished researchers, ten and two respectively, and the investment is higher.

How will successful applicants be chosen?

The selection process will be determined by the Ministry in conjunction with the Royal Society Te Apārangi. This process will reflect MBIE’s Diversity in Science Statement, with a commitment to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion in the final cohort of funded Fellows. The selection process will be published on the Society’s website when the Fellowships open for applications.

What sort of research will the fellowships fund? Will they prioritise any field of research?

The Tāwhia fellowships are open to researchers from all fields of research and have no emphasis or prioritisation of particular disciplines or fields of research. However, all proposed research needs to demonstrate alignment with Government priorities to ensure the outputs of Tāwhia contribute toward areas of need or opportunity for New Zealand.

How will the fellowships create opportunities for Māori, Pacific peoples and women / Why are these communities a priority?

The assessment process for the new fellowships will ensure a minimum number of awards are made each year to outstanding Māori and Pacific researchers so the research workforce better reflects New Zealand’s population. It will also ensure that around half of the awards are made to researchers who identify as female.

These communities are under-represented in New Zealand’s science, innovation and technology workforce. MBIE is committed to eliminating barriers to entry, as the diversity, equity and inclusiveness of our workforce is vital to a thriving science, innovation and technology system that contributes to the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. There are several pressing issues that Aotearoa New Zealand faces that will require more varied research production and application, and investing in a wider range of researchers will help us to do so.

Will the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships be ongoing?

Yes, the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships funding is baselined and the scheme will continue to operate for the foreseeable future.

How will you know if the new schemes are working better than existing ones?

The new scheme will be monitored by MBIE to track the objective of developing and retaining Aotearoa New Zealand’s next generation of science, innovation and technology leaders. MBIE has the flexibility to review the settings of the schemes to better deliver on this objective.

What does the naming of the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships schemes mean?

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

  • early researchers/future leaders building the foundations of their career (Mana Tūāpapa)
  • mid-career researchers further establishing themselves as research leaders (Mana Tūānuku)
  • distinguished researchers with expansive career success and a prominent international reputation (Mana Tūārangi).

Do the Fellowships increase the financial burden on universities hosting Fellows, given the recent budget cuts?

The Fellowships substantially increase overhead funding going to the host organisation, as well as increasing the contribution to the Fellow’s salary. Compared to the old Fellowships, this new configuration would lessen the financial burden on universities to host and support Fellows.

How will you know if the Tāwhia Fellowships are performing well in future?

MBIE and the Society will continue to monitor the performance of the scheme and if necessary, adjust the settings of the scheme to better deliver on the objectives.

How do the Tāwhia Fellowships contribute to economic growth?

The Tāwhia Fellowships invest in the development of research leaders whose work strengthens New Zealand’s science, innovation and technology system. By supporting research that builds capability in areas of government priority—including those with potential for economic impact—the Fellowships help ensure that New Zealand has the talent pipeline needed to generate long-term economic benefits.

Changes for the 2026 Round

1.     What is changing in the 2026 Tāwhia round?

MBIE and the Society have implemented several changes to the Tāwhia 2026 round to align with Government direction for the science, innovation and technology system and improve scheme operation against its intent:

  • New requirement for all award applications to identify the outcome area their research proposal best aligns with.
  • New assessment criteria for all award applications to describe how their proposal aligns with Government priorities.
  • New eligibility criteria for the Tūāpapa early-career research awards limiting applicants to those who have not previously received substantial research grant funding in a leadership capacity, such as principal investigator on a Marsden Fast Start or on Endeavour grant.
  • Artificial Intelligence Technologies is designated as the research area being offered for 2026 Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher awards.

Why do all Tāwhia applications need to identify with an outcome area?

The science funding system is being simplified and made more strategic. It will focus on clear outcomes across four areas: the economy, environment, health and society, and technology.

Tāwhia te Mana is a key investment in the science, innovation and technology workforce. Aligning it with the new outcome-based approach helps build a clearer picture of current expertise in the system, opportunities for investment in future talent, and supports integration into the new outcomes focused funding framework as it is rolled out.

What if my proposal doesn’t fit within a single or any outcome area?

Outcome areas are high-level and broad domain areas. If an applicant feels their proposal doesn’t neatly fit into a single outcome area, they are recommended to select the best fitting area for their proposal in terms of the intended research outcomes which would be delivered through the Fellowship.

Applications are required to align with one of the four outcome areas (the economy, environment, health and society, and technology). If an applicant feels their proposal doesn’t fit into any outcome area, we encourage rescoping of the research in a way that better reflects outcome area focus.

Why do all Tāwhia applications need to align with Government priorities?

An objective of the Scheme is to build science, innovation and technology capability in areas of Government priority. The new criterion ensures all applicants have considered this objective as part of their proposal, and are able to identify how their research has the potential to contribute to a Government priority.

What is considered a current Government priority?

The Government regularly publishes high‑level strategies that outline its overall priorities and the outcomes it seeks to achieve. These strategies set the broad direction for how public investment and activity should be oriented. Ministerial statements, public releases, and Budget announcements further clarify areas of focus, including specific priorities or capability needs where the Government intends to direct effort and investment.

Applicants should consider, as part of their proposal, how their research has the potential to contribute to Government priorities and outline how it will build capability in these areas. Where practicable, applicants should reference the specific priorities and briefly describe how their proposed work aligns with or supports those priorities

What if my proposal doesn’t align with any Government priorities?

Alignment with Government priorities is an objective of the scheme.  Applications will be considered in the selection process and proposals that do not align with any priorities may be determined as not suitable for award.

When identifying priority alignment, applicants are encouraged to consider the broader context and longer-term impacts of their proposed research in relation to Government priorities. Fellowship proposals are not expected to directly fulfil Government priorities but should identify relevant Government priorities and outline how they have the potential to build capability in these areas.

Applicants wishing to pursue research that does not relate to any Government priority may consider applying for research funding through other mechanisms that do not require alignment with Government priorities.

What sort of research will the Fellowships fund? Will they prioritise any field of research?

The Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships are open to researchers from all fields and do not prioritise any particular disciplines or research areas. All proposals must identify with a main outcome area (the economy, advanced technology, the environment, or health and society).

Why have the Tūāpapa eligibility criteria changed?

The objective of the Tūāpapa awards is to support New Zealand’s talented early-career researchers to establish the foundations of an excellent and impactful research career. The awards are not intended to support early-career researchers who have already held a leadership role on a major research grant.

In line with this objective, the change to Tūāpapa eligibility criteria limits applicants to those who have not previous received substantial research grant funding in a research leadership capacity.  This change better supports early-career researchers who have not yet received substantial funding support to help establish their research careers.

What is considered to be previous substantial research grant funding in a leadership capacity?

For the purposes of Tūāpapa applications round, substantial research grant funding in a leadership capacity includes previous award of either a Marsden Fast Start grant or an Endeavour grant as a Principal Investigator or equivalent leadership role.

Applicants who have previously been awarded either of these grants as an Associate Investigator or in any other capacity other than Principal Investigator remain eligible for the Tūāpapa Fellowships.

Why are the 2026 Tūārangi Fellowships being offered in the field of Artificial Intelligence Technologies?

AI Technologies is recognised as a field of research with high potential to deliver transformative impacts for New Zealand across many areas.

Tūārangi Fellowships are intended to support distinguished researchers to make enduring contributions to their field of research. Offering 2026 Tūārangi Fellowships in AI Technologies capitalises on New Zealand’s existing distinguished talent in this rapidly advancing area.

What research is in scope of Artificial Intelligence Technologies?

For the purposes of the 2026 Tūārangi round, AI Technologies comprises research related to the development and application of artificial intelligence methods and systems, including (but not limited to): machine learning; natural language processing; computer vision; generative AI; adversarial AI; AI algorithms and models; AI‑specific hardware and hardware accelerators (including advanced integrated circuit design and fabrication); and advanced data analytics where these are driven by AI techniques.

Have the Tāwhia te Mana goals for awards to Māori, Pacific Peoples and Female researchers changed?

No, Tāwhia te Mana still includes its originally designed goals to create opportunities for Māori, Pacific Peoples and female researchers who are excellent researchers and future leaders of research.

The selection process for the New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa and Tūārangi Fellowship awards aims to ensure that:

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

How will you know if the Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships are performing well in future?

MBIE and the Society will continue to monitor the performance of the scheme and if necessary, adjust the settings of the scheme to better deliver on its objectives.

Tāwhia Policy Intent and Design

Why aren’t the Tāwhia Fellowships funding the best research projects?

Like most fellowships, the Tāwhia Fellowships are a long-term investment in researchers and their careers, rather than simply funding the best or most impactful research projects. In this way, Tāwhia awards primarily support researchers to further their skills, knowledge and career to establish themselves and progress as research leaders.

By investing in researchers and their careers, Tāwhia is building the future research capability of the SI&T system to enable excellent and impactful research in the long-term. Other funds such as Endeavour and Marsden are more appropriate mechanisms to fund the most excellent and impactful research projects.

Why aren’t the Tāwhia Fellowships funding the best researchers?

The Tāwhia Fellowships are designed to support talented researchers across all research career stages. The Mana Tūāpapa Fellowship is specifically for early-career researchers who are still building their research track record. At this career stage, assessment-based selection methods can be more prone to bias and less effective in identifying the “best” applicants. The Tūāpapa selection process uses a ballot system, bookended by quality thresholds and panel review, to ensure fair opportunity for all applicants with high potential to be future research leaders.

In contrast, The Mana Tūānuku (mid-career) and Mana Tūārangi (distinguished) Fellowships use a rigorous assessment-based selection process to award applicants with strong track records of research excellence and demonstrated leadership in their fields.

Why is a ballot used as part of the Tūāpapa selection process?

The Tūāpapa awards are intended to support early-career researchers, who most likely have not yet generated a track record of research evidence suitable for detailed assessment. Evidence indicates that panel-assessment processes can be burdensome for applicants and assessors, prone to bias and ineffective in ranking applications from such candidates.

Ballot-based selection processes are a suitable mechanism for these early-career applicants, provided appropriate supporting measures are in place such as ballot-entry thresholds and suitability review of ballot drawn candidates by an assessment panel.

Why do the Tāwhia Fellowships include goals for awards to Māori, Pacific Peoples and Female researchers?

A major design consideration of the Tāwhia Fellowships was addressing long-term underrepresentation in our SI&T workforce. Representation of Māori and Pacific Peoples in the SI&T workforce is particularly low, and the growth in the number of Māori and Pacific researchers proportionally slower than overall SI&T workforce growth. Female researchers are also underrepresented in senior and leadership roles. Lack of representation can isolate and increase workload of affected researchers, leading to a reinforcing cycle of underrepresentation.

Tāwhia introduced award goals for Māori, Pacific Peoples and female researchers to help address representation of these groups and contribute toward a SI&T workforce that is representative of New Zealand’s population and best positioned to understand and respond to the needs of all New Zealanders.

The same selection processes, quality thresholds and award criteria equally apply to all Tāwhia applicants, ensuring Fellowships are awarded to talented researchers with high potential to establish and progress their careers to research leadership.

Why are applicants of Fijian Indian descent included in the Tāwhia Fellowships definition of Pacific Peoples?

Fijian Indians are descendants of indentured labourers and have developed their own distinct cultural identity and face the same underrepresentation issues to those Tāwhia is trying to address. Including Fijian Indians in the Tāwhia definition of Pacific Peoples acknowledges Fijian Indians as having their own identity in the pacific and seeks to help address their representation in the SI&T workforce.

Eligibility

Visa Status:

I have a New Zealand Resident Visa, am I eligible to apply?

Unfortunately, you must hold New Zealand Citizenship or a New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa at the time of application to be eligible to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship.

We cannot pre-empt the decisions of Immigration New Zealand. Even if you are eligible to apply, have already applied, or plan to apply, for permanent residency, we are unfortunately not able to grant exceptions to the eligibility requirement.

I am an Australian Citizen (or Australian Permanent Resident Visa Holder), am I eligible to apply?

Unfortunately, only New Zealand Citizens or New Zealand Permanent Residents at the time of application are eligible to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship.

As an Australian Citizen you can be granted a resident visa upon arrival in New Zealand. However, you can only apply for a permanent resident visa after having continuously held a resident visa for 24 months and fulfil other criteria for a permanent resident visa. We recommend you consider applying for permanent residency if you intend to continue to your research career in New Zealand and may apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship in future.

Employment Status:

Does employment status affect my eligibility to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship?

No, people with any employment status are eligible to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship, provided that you have an organisation willing to host you during your fellowship, if successful.  While some previous fellowships administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi have had requirements that applicants are "not permanently employed", this is not a requirement for any of the Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships.

Prior receipt of funding:

Does having been awarded another fellowship affect my eligibility to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship?

Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship

There is a new eligibility criteria in 2026 for the Mana Tūapapa Future Leader Fellowship that applicants should not have been awarded a major research grant (e.g. Marsden Fast-Start or Endeavour Fund) as a principal investigator or equivalent leadership role.

Receipt of a Rutherford Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship would also be considered a major research grants as a principal investigator.

Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship
  • If you have been awarded a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship in the past you are not eligible to apply for a Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship.
Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship
  • If you have been awarded a James Cook Research Fellowship in the past you are not eligible to apply for a Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship.

What types of funding is encompassed by the rule “applicants should not have been awarded a major research grant (e.g. Marsden Fast-Start or Endeavour Fund) as a principal investigator or equivalent leadership role.”

A “major research grant” is considered to include any research grant that:

  • the applicant leads the project as principal investigator or equivalent role AND
  • has a total value of at least NZD 100,000 AND
  • funds research after the completion of the applicant’s PhD (i.e. does not include postgraduate training scholarships) AND
  • funds a proportion of the applicant’s research time (i.e. funds some FTE) OR
  • is considered a “career development award” (e.g. Marsden Fund Fast-Start, HRC Hercus Fellowship, HRC Explorer, Rutherford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, Ngā Puanga Pūtaiao Fellowship etc…)

Funding would NOT be considered a “major research grant” if:

  • no FTE was funded (e.g. Catalyst Fund) 
  • the total value of the award was less than NZD 100,000
  • the applicant did not have a principal investigator or equivalent leadership role (e.g. you were a named postgraduate, postdoctoral fellow, associate investigator or similar) 

Career gaps:

My research career has been disrupted by other circumstances since my PhD was conferred, which fellowship should I apply for?

The eligibility period for PhD conferral for any of the fellowships may be extended under any of the following scenarios at the discretion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi:

  • extended sickness leave
  • part-time employment or career interruptions because of care giving responsibilities
  • to account for work or service in the community or an industry
  • as otherwise agreed by the Society.

This Career Gaps Calculator can be used to determine your years of research experience and which fellowship you are eligible to apply for.  Please detail the nature of any career disruptions in your Narrative CV for the selection panel's information.

I have worked in a teaching-only position since my PhD was conferred, how do I calculate my years of research experience?

If you have a period of employment in a teaching-only position, this should be treated like time in industry and input into the Career Gaps Calculator as "0". Please detail the nature of any career disruptions in your Narrative CV for the selection panel's information.

I worked part-time in a research position, but not for childcare purposes, how do I calculate my years of research experience?

Generally any period of part-time work should be entered into the Career Gaps Calculator at the FTE you worked.  Please detail the nature of any career disruptions in your Narrative CV for the selection panel's information.

I have twins, do I get 2 years extension per pregnancy or per child?

You can apply for an extension of 2 years per child, even if those children happen to have been born at the same time.

PhD Qualification:

Do I require a PhD to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship?

Yes, you must have a PhD or completed all the requirements to have your PhD conferred at the time of application to be eligible.

I have submitted my PhD thesis, am I eligible to apply?

You are only eligible to apply for a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship if you have completed all the requirements to have your PhD conferred at the time of application.  This would normally involve completing a defence of your thesis.  Check with your awarding organisation to confirm whether you have completed all the requirements for your PhD to be awarded, they will be able to supply you with a letter to this effect as evidence.

I have a professional doctorate, am I eligible to apply?

Consistent with NZQA, we could consider a professional doctorate equivalent to a PhD if it “requires at least 360 credits and is listed at level 10”.  If you are unsure if your degree complies with this, please get in touch with the awarding institution.

Host Eligibility:

Who can host a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship?

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.’

For more information please see Host a Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship.

Ethnicity and Gender

How do the Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships ensure diversity of recipients?

The selection process for each fellowship is different, and therefore diversity targets will be addressed in different ways.

The Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship will use a selection ballot to ensure (where practicable) that at least 20% of selected fellows whakapapa Māori, 10% identify as being Pacific Peoples and 50% who identify as female, where practicable.

For the Mana Tūānuku Research Leader the discipline-based and interview panels are asked to take into consideration the diversity targets of the fellowships during their deliberations.  The selection process will aim to ensure (where practicable) that around 20% of fellowships are awarded to applicants who whakapapa Māori, around 10% who identify as being of Pacific ethnicity and around 50% identify as female.

The Mana Tūānuku Distinguished Researcher Fellowship are awarded to only an estimated two recipients per year, making it difficult to define annual diversity targets for these fellowships. The gender and ethnicity demographics of recipients will be recorded from year to year and the selection panels asked to consider the diversity of recipients awarded fellowships over time. 

Who is included within Pacific Peoples for the purposes of Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship?

MBIE have deemed, for the purposes of this Fellowship, 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.

For Mana Tūāpapa, if at least 50% of recipients will identify as female, and gender diverse is an option on the demographics section of the application, how does the ballot process consider gender diverse applicants?

In the first ballot four applicants are drawn who identify as Māori from the applicant pool. Next two applicants are drawn who identify as Pacific Persons, including those who may identify as both Māori and Pacific Persons. We note how many of the six selected fellows identify as female.

In the general selection ballot, the remaining applicant pool (including any previously unselected Māori and Pacific Persons) is sorted randomly. We then select the top applicants identifying as female and gender diverse from this list until a total of 10 female fellows are selected. In doing so, if a gender diverse candidate is randomly listed higher than the 10th female, the cut will include both the required minimum of 10 females and the gender diverse person, making the total 11. Keeping the order constant, we then go back to the top of our list, and select the top remaining fellows (which will be predominantly males and non-responders excluded from the selection above, but could also include additional female and gender diverse candidates) until the total of twenty fellows have been drawn.

This selection ballot has been designed to ensure that the likelihood of a gender diverse candidate being selected for the fellowship is not significantly different (P>0.05 from simulations) from the rate at which gender diverse people are likely to apply for the fellowship. For more information on the selection ballot process see Github.

Application Content

Research Area:

What areas of research can be submitted to the Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships?

Applicants are welcome to submit applications in any area of research, including clinical health research.

Proposal:

Can I include images and/or tables in my application?

You are welcome to include images and/or tables in your application.  You must still comply to the page limits, margins and other formatting as outlined in the 'How to submit your application' section of the application guidelines.

Should I provide references for my research proposal?

Yes, you should include references with your research proposal.  These should be included within the page count of the proposed research template.

Are references included with the page limit for the proposed research/proposal template?

No, references can be added in addition to the Proposed Research page limit for the 2025 round and is a change from the 2024 round.  References should not exceed ONE page total.

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.

Referees:

What do I do if I have fallen out with my former supervisor and I can’t ask them for a referee report for Mana Tūāpapa?

There may be certain situations where it is not possible or appropriate for a former supervisor to provide a referee report for your Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship application. If this is the case for you, please contact the Secretariat via email tawhia@royalsociety.org.nz or phone + 64 4 470 5764 explaining your unique situation, and we can approve the use of an alternative referee (e.g. a secondary supervisor, or a senior research colleague) if the situation calls for it.

How flexible are the conflict rules for referees?

Generally it is best to avoid using referees with what the panel will see as having a conflict of interest (for more information on conflicts of interest please see the applicant guidelines) supporting your application.  The panel will recognise this may be difficult for very early career researchers.  In particular, 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. 

It is up to applicants to select the best referees to support their proposal.  These referees will be people who can comment on their research capacity and leadership, but who do not have a conflict of interest where possible.  It is ultimately the panel who will review these conflicts of interest and take these into consideration in their funding deliberations.

Can I ask another applicant for the same fellowship as I am applying to act as my referee?

Applicants should not act as a referee for other applicants for the same fellowship.  

Narrative CV:

How do I fill out a Narrative CV?

Further information on Narrative CVs including examples can be found on the MBIE website.  There is also a useful webinar on the MBIE website.

In general, using the narrative CV to tell a story about yourself tends to read better than simply listing a lot of outcomes. In addition, you should try to verify claims that you make in your CV – otherwise, panellists are unlikely to attribute much credit to your claim.

Host support:

Should the 'Host Support' section be generic for a whole institution or specific for each applicant?

Parts of this page may be generic to all applicants from an institution (e.g. Host commitment to embed te Tiriti o Waitangi) and other parts should include how the individual fellow will be supported depending on their cultural background, research field, research approaches and other aspects.  There might be specific support structures or research requirements in a particular department/school, that may not be applicable to all applicants from the same institution. 

Budget:

Can Funding for the Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship be used for overheads?

Yes, funds from the Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship can be used for any amount of overheads up to maximum contribution of 100% of FTE. It is our expectation that the host organisation will work with applicants to maximise the benefit of the award.

How do I prepare a budget for a Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship if I am planning to work less than 0.8 FTE on the proposed research project?

If you are planning to work less than 0.8 FTE (minimum 0.4 FTE) on your fellowship, how you prepare your budget depends on what you are doing with the other FTE. 

If you are performing:

  • Other research

To encourage development of leadership and track record, Fellows are able to incorporate research and leadership opportunities into their 0.8 FTE commitment to the Mana Tūānuku fellowship, where these activities are aligned with their Mana Tūānuku objectives.  Released salary (and overheads) as a consequence of the other research (e.g. other research grants with a paid FTE component) can therefore be re-allocated to other research costs, preferably personnel, to help out with the Fellowship objectives. This is similar to how the Royal Society Te Apārangi administers the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship. 

  • Family or care responsibilities

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.  

If you are working part time for care responsibilities, you can retain the full budget to facilitate the completion of your fellowship research.  You can choose to either extend out the fellowship for up to eight years, or hire e.g. a postdoc to help complete the work.

  • Activities that don’t support leadership or building a track record (e.g. teaching, admin or clinical work)

The salary and overhead contributions of the award will be pro-rated to the requested FTE. The $115,000 contribution to the researcher’s salary is equivalent to 0.8 FTE.  This would reduce the total amount of funding for the fellowship.  The 60k per annum of research expenses remains the same in order to allow the Fellow to carry out their research activities. This is similar to how HRC administers their Hercus Fellowship career support scheme.

We have introduced a new budget template in 2025 which helps you to alter your budget total if you plan to work more than 0.2 FTE on other activities. e.g. if you are planning to work 0.4 FTE on teaching and 0.2 FTE on service and admin (which totals 0.6 "other FTE") you should enter this as follows at the bottom of the budget tab:

This will reduce the total budget on the fellowship:

and then complete your budget reducing the salary and overhead contributions pro-rata:

How to do I calculate salary pro rata?

The salary and overhead contributions for Mana Tūāpapa of $82,500 p.a. and Mana Tūānuku of $115,000 is equivalent to 0.8 FTE.  If you are funding less than 0.8 FTE out of your fellowship (e.g. due to obtaining other research funding) you may need to reduce these pro rata by taking the total contribution divided by 0.8 FTE and multiplied by the FTE you are funding as per the table below:

 

Mana Tūāpapa

Mana Tūānuku

Research FTE

Salary and overhead contribution

Research related expenses

Salary and overhead contribution

Research related expenses

0.8

$82,500 each p.a.

$40,000 p.a.

$115,000 each p.a.

$60,000 p.a.

0.7

$72,188 each p.a.

$40,000 p.a.

$100,625 each p.a.

$60,000 p.a.

0.6

$61,875 each p.a.

$40,000 p.a.

$86,250 each p.a.

$60,000 p.a.

0.5

$51,563 each p.a.

$40,000 p.a.

$71,875 each p.a.

$60,000 p.a.

0.4

$41,250 each p.a.

$40,000 p.a.

$57,500 each p.a.

$60,000 p.a.

How do I prepare a budget for a Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship if I already have more than 0.2 FTE funding from other sources?

OR

What happens to funding from my Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship if I am successful in being awarded other funding?

To encourage development of leadership and track record, Fellows are able to incorporate research and leadership opportunities into their 0.8 FTE commitment to the Mana Tūāpapa fellowship, where these activities are aligned with their Mana Tūāpapa objectives.  Released salary (and overheads) as a consequence of the other research (e.g. other research grants with a paid FTE component) can therefore be re-allocated to other research costs, preferably personnel, to help out with the Fellowship objectives. This is similar to how the Royal Society Te Apārangi administers the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship. 

This FTE Calculator can help work out FTEs for you fellowship based on other funding you have.

How do I prepare a budget if 0.8 FTE of my salary is less than the salary contribution coming from the fellowship?

If you earn less than the salary contribution for 0.8 FTE in any one year for Mana Tūāpapa or Mana Tūānuku fellowships, the salary should be reduced to your predicted salary.  The overhead contribution should be reduced pro rata and should not exceed 100% of the salary amount.  Released salary and overhead funds can be re-allocated to other research costs.

If my host organsiation cannot award postdoctoral degrees, can I have a postgraduate student?

Yes.  You can act as a primary supervisor for a postgraduate student.  You will likely need to have a co-supervisor at an organisation that can award postdoctoral degrees.  They may or may not require a small FTE contribution to act as a co-supervisor, this can (but is not required to) be funded out of the fellowship expendables funding.

Declaration:

Where is the Declaration form?

We no longer require a Declaration form for the Tawhia te Mana Fellowship Application.  This has been replaced by an electronic check box agreement when an Applicant clicks "Submit" and when a Research Office Staff Member clicks "Approve" in the process of finalising submission of an application.

If you have an early version of the Application Guidelines (version 2.1) these erroneously referred to a "declaration form" which no longer exists in the 2025 round.  These guidelines were replaced by version 2.2 published 20/5/2025 which corrected this error.  We apologise for any confusion caused.

The text of the online "declaration" is as follows

Applicant Declaration (agreed to by the applicant):

I acknowledge the information contained herein is accurate, and where necessary, consent has been obtained for its use in the assessment of this proposal.

I am the primary intellectual author of this proposal.

I confirm that I fulfil the eligibility criteria and the application abides by rules stipulated in the Terms of Reference for Tāwhia te Mana Fellowships.

I will indemnify the Royal Society of New Zealand from any claims, demands, costs, action or proceedings of any nature which may arise at any time in relation to this application.

Host Declaration (agreed to by the proposed host organisation):

We acknowledge the information contained herein is accurate and can be used in the manner described.

We affirm that we as an organisation support the Tāwhia te Mana Fellowship applicant. We also affirm that:

  • The applicant satisfies the eligibility criteria;
  • We will employ the applicant at least for the duration of the Fellowship.
  • We will facilitate the provision of support and facilities to enable the applicant to succeed in their Fellowship for the duration of the Fellowship.
  • The applicant has good potential to develop and progress their career in research (applicable for Mana Tūāpapa and Mana Tūānuku applicants)

If postgraduate students are to be engaged on the contract, we will ensure that the applicant is qualified to act as supervisor.

We will indemnify the Royal Society Te Apārangi for any claims, demands, costs, action or proceedings of any nature which may arise at any time in relation to these applications.

Application and Referee Portal

What if my referee want to complete their referee report early?

If your referee is busy during the time the referee portal is open, there is nothing to stop applicants from sharing their completed proposal with the referee in advance.  The questions the referee will be asked are located within the referee guidelines for each respective scheme, and referee report templates are available online for Mana Tūānuku and Mana Tūārangi Fellowships.

Referee Guidelines

Application Templates (includes referee report)

Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship

Referee reports are collected in LimeSurvey format – but answers can be prepared in advance if desired

Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship

Templates

Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship

Templates

If your referee is unable to access the internet during the entire referee window (e.g. conducting remote fieldwork) then please contact us.

I am having trouble with the portal, what do I do?

The Tāwhia te Mana Application Portal supports Firefox and Chrome Web Browsers.  Users have had trouble if they are using Safari.  If you are having trouble with the portal and are using Safari, we strongly recommend switching to Firefox or Chrome. If problems persist, please contact us.

I keep getting error messages with the portal, what do I do?

If you are getting redirect errors, please try clearing cookies for the royalsociety.org.nz domain and retry. This often solves the issue. If problems persist, please contact us.

The answer to my questions is not here, what do I do next?

Contact us

Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships

  • Marsden at 30