Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, publically released its 2013 Annual Report. The report highlights the significant outputs, contributions and outcomes NPM produce for a mere $5.3 million of Centre of Research Excellence funding from the Tertiary Education Commission.
Among these significant contributions, NPM:
• Research produced
o a model of Māori educational success factors,
o an online decision-making tool for sustainable practice and development,
o identified critical elements and key success factors for childrearing,
o improved understanding of Maori men’s relational health and the importance of culture and relations,
o a new model of Māori language revitalisation and acceptance,
o an innovative model and practice to support Māori development and research in Māori communities,
o integrated science and mātauranga Māori into new shellfish management plans
o new understandings of the relationship between lunar cycles (maramataka) and animal behaviours,
o a methods and a framework to determine and meet Maori economic development aspirations
• Sent its third Māori Graduate to Harvard University through the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga-Fulbright New Zealand partnership
• Successfully ran its national grants and awards programme supporting over 60 students and researchers to build capability and skills or develop and share their research
• Built further capability and research capacity supporting over 700 students through the national programme
• Published 60 journal articles, 7 books and 9 book chapters, and many more reports and research outputs
• Research featured on national TV and was developed for regional TV upon request from broadcasters
• Successfully partnered and held a 2 day national research symposium with Maori Community, Tauranga Moana Iwi
The impact of NPM has had and is having for Māori communities and New Zealand is recognised internationally. NPM is perceived as a benchmark for Indigenous (Māori) Research, and has helped develop research capacity and scholarship. In 2013 over 700 students were involved with NPM, through its National Post-Graduate Programme, MAI Te Kupenga, and with involvement in research projects, interns and graduate and post-graduate scholarships.
“Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga was very pleased to provide the 2013 Annual Report to the Tertiary Education Commission showing we exceed expectations and contracted requirements, while delivering benefit to Māori and the country”, says Associate Professor Tracey McIntosh, Acting Director, NPM.
“The enormous amount of activity, with hundreds of outputs and distinct research projects, and thousands of people involved and benefiting is value for money”, Tracey adds.
“We hope a future for this work and activity to maintain and further the momentum and contributions can be secured”.