Celebrating continued success for our Discovery Scholarship community - Annual Report 2025

17 May, 2026

The Discovery Scholarship programme continues to be a key focus of our Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa kaupapa - identifying, supporting, and championing Māori and Pacific students as they step into futures such as the physical, chemical and biological sciences, engineering, computing and mathematics, Māori sciences, and sustainability-related fields. In mid-December 2024 we closed applications for the 2025 round and were thrilled to receive around 90 applications. Following a competitive assessment process, 22 scholarships were awarded for 2025, spanning the full range of pathways our community needs:

10 × Te Huarahi Ki Mua Award - for previous Discovery recipients building to the next step
4 × Te Taumata Award - High Achiever Award
3 × Te Mātauranga Pūtaiao Award - Māori Science Award
3 × Te Kāinga Rua Award - Second Chance Learner Award
2 × Piki Ake Award - Step It Up Award

Our Discovery Scholars are succeeding academically and contribute meaningfully to research and communities through placements and internships that draw on both western and Māori scientific knowledge.

This year, Discovery Scholars Georgia-Rae Jones and Jade Hine Pounamu Tāwhiri Ruka undertook internships that exemplify this. Georgia-Rae's internship at Massey University of Wellington explored how NASA's space-based Earth observations (SBEO) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can strengthen Māori and Pacific capability in environmental monitoring. Her work reviewed Māori GIS initiatives, partnerships, and training pathways - highlighting both opportunities and barriers for long-term, Māori-led geospatial engagement. Through weekly hui with supervisor Professor Pauline Harris and Strategic Manager Māori Kirsty Doyle, Georgia-Rae expanded her technical skills in GIS, while developing a deeper understanding of how these tools can be used to express tino rangatiratanga and support kaitiakitanga across iwi and hapū contexts.

Jade Ruka interned with GNS Science, contributing to several interdisciplinary environmental research projects involving sediment analysis, coastal erosion and the protection of culturally significant Māori sites. Her mahi included analysing sediment cores and particle sizes, participating in LiDAR mapping in Taranaki and creating a regional GIS map of Kaipara showing marae, urupā and coastal risk zones. Working alongside iwi representatives and supervisors Malcolm Arnot, Marcus Vandergoes, Jenny Black and Emeritus Investigator Diane Bradshaw, Jade connected field science with community priorities, gaining hands-on experience that combined geoscience and mātauranga Māori.

Support and guidance by Māori for Māori, particularly in the research and science sector, is key to Māori success and innovation.
Georgia-Rae Jones MacDiarmid Institute Discovery Scholarship alumna

We also celebrate Discovery alumna Maia Horn, who represented Aotearoa New Zealand at the Ocean Citizen Summit in France, bringing a Māori voice to global conversations on ocean stewardship and Indigenous leadership. Read more at RNZ: Young New Zealanders head to France for Ocean Citizen Summit.

Across the year, we have maintained regular online catchups with current and past recipients, offering pastoral care, career conversations, and practical support. We acknowledge with gratitude the continued support of our co-sponsors - GNS Science's Aotearoa: Green Hydrogen Platform and Spirax Sarco - whose contributions expand what is possible for the programme.

These touchpoints allow us to respond quickly to needs, celebrate wins and connect Scholars to new opportunities.

Collaborating with a diverse team was a privilege - this experience has fueled my interest in environmental conservation that integrates both scientific research and cultural perspectives.
Jade Hine Pounamu Tāwhiri Ruka MacDiarmid Institute Discovery Scholarship alumna

Our internship impact

Connecting science and community:

Incorporating research community, offering practical, hands-on activities informed by both Māori science and Western science.
Building technical capability in geospatial mapping and Earth observation
Supporting iwi-driven projects on coastal protection and cultural heritage
Creating bridges between science, policy, and Indigenous knowledge

Our Discovery Scholarship Programme is more than financial support - it’s about walking alongside our students throughout their journey. From pastoral care and career guidance to mentoring and advocacy, we provide holistic support that reflects the values of manaakitanga. We aim to help our scholars navigate the science ecosystem with confidence, nurturing their aspirations and empowering them to achieve their goals and become leaders in their fields.
Kirsty Doyle MacDiarmid Institute Strategic Manager Māori