Mātauranga Māori Research Policy

Mātauranga Māori is a modern term for the combined knowledge of Polynesian ancestors and the experiences of Māori living in the environment of Aotearoa. The term takes many forms, such as language (te reo rangatira), education (mātauranga), traditional environmental knowledge (taonga tuku iho, mātauranga o te taiao), traditional knowledge of cultural practice, values, principles and concepts over time.

Vision Mātauranga is designed to inspire researchers to find innovative responses and solutions to the opportunities, issues and needs facing our nation.

Mātauranga ā-iwi, tribal knowledge operates within tribal context – “it is premised on the tribal knowledge forms that are unique to the differing tribal identities” (Doherty).

Partnering with Māori - Māori seek to build mutual trust and integrity when partnering with others. The value they place on whanaungatanga stems from traditional kinship; the kind of relationship built through shared experiences and working together for a common purpose.

Our work with Pacific students/peoples.

Our primary work delivering to the Pacific and to the Pacific Education Action Plan is through our DiscoveryCamp programme, our Discovery Scholarships and ongoing mentorship. Equity principles guide prioritisation of effort into outreach and engagement, such as Māori science education, and building capability and capacity within Pacific peoples.

Partnership: Engaging and consulting early

Under the principle of manaakitanga, all researchers should engage in consultation. Early engagement and co-design can be valuable to research to identify opportunities and challenges in the development phase of a research project. Early engagement can prevent problems further along the research process, including ethical concerns.

In order to assist the Institute in delivering on its equity and VM goals, Investigators will commit to:

Engaging with Institute wananga, wherever possible, to develop a better understanding of iwi, hapū and Māori science research needs, and aspirations, and appropriate engagement methods and protocols within the context of Mātauranga Māori;
Seeking advice about the appropriate protocols for engaging with Māori;
Ensuring where appropriate to engage with Mātauranga experts well in advance of funding application deadlines;
Supporting members of their research groups to upskill in engagement with Māori, in particular through supporting participation in te reo courses, and DiscoveryCamp or Discovery alumni activities;
Respecting the appropriate use of IP in the context of Indigenous knowledge – in the case of Mātauranga Māori or other Indigenous knowledge, the ownership, storage, access and use of resultant data is determined by the original knowledge holders on a case by case basis.