From the 11th - 14th February more than 30 of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga’s senior researchers including our leadership team and new Board Chair, Kerensa Johnston, were based at Rānana (Ruakā) Marae on the Whanganui River, for our annual Principal Investigators Wānanga. For four days, we came together within the valley of the Te Awa Tupua o te Whanganui, the majestic river valley, deeply embedded in the living energy of the generous communities.

The principal hapū here is Ngāti Ruakā of the iwi Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi. The wharenui is Te Morehu, and the wharekai is Ruaka Hall 1954. The marae connects ancestrally to the Aotea waka, the maunga Ruapehu and of course the awa Whanganui.

This wānanga was led by two of NPM’s outstanding and uniquely placed partners, Whakauae Research - Māori Health and Development and Te Atawhai o Te Ao: Independent Māori Research Institute for Environment and Health and throughout the week the group discussed NPM research themes and projects, as well as working on our many programmes and talking through the key questions and focus for the forthcoming Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) funding round NPM will be going through later in 2019.

Our goal was to reflect on the past year and continue our constant planning and focus on the future, developing in collaboration with our researchers and partners a comprehensive research strategy for the CoRE rebid, which will take NPM research and impact to a new level of excellence.

There is always much for us to work on and develop, and being able to achieve this important mahi in such a special place - reaffirms why we all work so hard to ensure that our research connects to home communities and reflects their needs and desires for the future.

Ngā mihi nui ki te Rānana marae.

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