Doctoral thesis

Karamea Tina Tukukino (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Tamatera), Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi The aim of this research is to co-develop a values-based evaluative framework that supports ethical AI integration in Māori tertiary educational contexts. The concept of Mātāhihiko invokes the synergy between ancestral wisdom and contemporary…

Awatea Waimārie Moxon (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāi Tahu), Te Herenga Waka Victoria University My research explores the relationship between wellbeing and whakapapa knowledge (Māori history, genealogy and creation stories). My PhD extends my previous research, which became the first to empirically illustrate the correlation between whakapapa…

Maren Tahata (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui), The University of Auckland Māori students remain underrepresented in STEM fields in Aotearoa-not due to lack of ability or interest, but because the education system often fails to reflect Māori identities, values, and ways of knowing. This research explores how culturally responsive science teaching can…

Marama Robin Kainamu-Wheeler (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu), Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. This research adopts a whakapapa research paradigm to investigate national-linked perinatal datasets to (1) make visible the neonatal outcomes of Māori term infants born 2017–2022, (2) investigate protective factors contributing to the neonatal outcomes…

Jolene Barletta Rangihaeata (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Konohi, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Ruahine, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Apa), University of Waikato. Climate change poses profound environmental and cultural challenges for Indigenous peoples across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, including Māori communities in Aotearoa. Despite minimal contributions to…

Nadine Helen Riwai (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Te Uri o Hau, Ngai Takoto), The University of Auckland Across Aotearoa, national cancer screening programmes—breast, bowel, cervical, and emerging areas such as lung screening—aim to save lives through early detection. Yet Māori continue to experience barriers to access, delayed diagnosis, and poorer…

Awardee: Leticia Joesphine Ngoi Vizor (Leticia Joesphine Ngoi Vizor), The University of Auckland This research explores how Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei (NWŌ) whānau understand, experience, and sustain collective oranga and mental wellbeing, with the overarching aim of developing a culturally grounded iwi-led mental health strategy. The project emerged from the NWŌ…

Awardee: Waimarie Onekawa (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine), Auckland University of Technology In Aotearoa, Lead Maternity Care (LMC) Midwives provide most healthcare services for pregnant people. LMCs provide on-call services 24/7 and face long, unpredictable workdays. They often sacrifice time with their whānau to maintain their work…

Awardee: Morgana Vicki Watson (Taranaki, Te Atiawa, Te Atihaunui-a-Papaarangi, Ngāpuhi), University of Canterbury This research explores how Māori Futurism can be realised through interactive media, merging traditional Māori knowledge with futuristic storytelling and technology. The project investigates the transformative potential of Māori media, where Te…

Awardee: Deacon Fisher (Ngāpuhi (Te Parawhau, Te Uriroroi, Te Māhurehure ki Whatitiri)), Massey University In recent years, pūrākau have been an area of research interest. This has primarily resulted in the emergence of pūrākau as a mode of therapeutic intervention. Despite this, pūrākau and their application within the social work profession are yet to be…

Awardee: Cynthia Otene (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), Auckland University of Technology Māori have higher rates of diabetes Amputations than non-Māori. The Rangahau will utilise Kaupapa Māori methodology to explore experiences of Māori, who have had a lower limb amputation due to diabetes. The Rangahau uses wānanga to kōrero to participants about the experiences of…

Awardee: Uenukuterangihoka Jefferies (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Awa, Te Whakatōhea), University of Auckland This kaupapa Māori-informed study explores how fidgeting—small, repetitive movements often seen in people with wairangi ā-aronga (ADHD)—might be linked to patterns of brain activity and thinking. The research focuses on rangatahi and…