Call for Proposals to strengthen Capability and Networks between Māori Organisations (New Zealand)

Deadline: 11-Oct-23

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment is inviting proposals for investment in activities that strengthen capability and networks between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system, and increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for New Zealand.

Aims and Objectives

• Aims:
  • Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system.
  • Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for New Zealand.
• Objectives:
• For Māori organisations (research users that identify themselves as Māori), to:
  • Build Māori research users’ understanding of what research can do for them, including contributing to economic, social, and environmental goals.
  • Increase the uptake and application of research results by Māori research users.
  • Build research capability, capacity, and skills in Māori organisations and new partnerships with Research organisations.
• For individual researchers and Research organisations (including Māori researchers and Research organisations), to:
  • Improve their understanding of mātauranga Māori research.
  • Build research capability relevant to Vision Mātauranga themes and outcomes and new partnerships with Māori organisations.
• For the science and innovation system, to:
  • Identify effective ways to transfer knowledge between Māori and researchers.
  • Increase Māori organisation connections and collaborations with individual researchers and Research organisations.
  • Strengthen and increase networks of researchers, Research organisations and Māori organisations that will encourage and support each other.
  • Explore and develop new opportunities to undertake research that contribute to the Vision Mātauranga policy themes and outcomes.

Schemes under Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund Project

• Connect Scheme
  • Through this scheme, Māori organisations and Research organisations/individual researchers will have:
    • developed new relationships, or expanded on existing ones
    • the confidence to engage across organisations to incorporate the themes and outcomes of Vision Mātauranga into research practice and organisational planning.
    • developed networks that support each other in their practice, and share knowledge, methodologies, and general support to build strong connections and linkages.
    • engaged relevant stakeholders and the community/public in work programmes through outreach, communication, and education activities.
• Placement Scheme
  • The Placement Scheme is for proposals which invest in:
    • Full or part-time placement(s) of named skilled researcher(s) from a Research organisation or individual researcher, into a Māori organisation.
    • A full or part-time placement of a named member(s) of a Māori organisation into a Research organisation. This person could hold a role that would benefit from a placement, such as a research manager or a business manager wanting to better understand what research can do for the Māori organisation and to improve knowledge transfer, sharing, uptake, and benefits.
  • Through this scheme, placement individuals will:
    • Have greater confidence in working across Māori organisations and Research organisations to create new opportunities for research and development programmes and the application of research results.
    • Have built up greater skills, capability, understanding or knowledge of research relevant to Vision Mātauranga outcomes and how research and development can be used to benefit the Māori organisation.
    • Be able to use their skills and capability to identify and support future opportunities to participate in research relevant to Vision Mātauranga outcomes.

Funding Information

• Approximately $2.0 million (excluding GST) is available to fund successful new proposals in the Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund 2024 investment round.
• The total funding available is $4.0 million (excluding GST) per year with the remaining approximate $2.0 million (excluding GST) per year being allocated to existing contracts from the Fund’s previous investment rounds.
• The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to 2 years. For a project with a work programme of:
  • up to one year in length, the maximum funding per successful proposal is $150,000 (excluding GST).
  • between one and 2 years, the maximum funding per successful proposal is $250,000 (excluding GST). It is not a requirement to apply for the full funding available or the full 2-year project term.
• Project costs must be solely and directly related to the project work programme. Funding can be used to cover costs towards the work programme development, delivery, and operating costs (including travel). Capital expenditure is not funded.

Who can Apply?

To be eligible for funding, proposals must:

• Be made by a New Zealand based single legal entity that is a Māori organisation, Research organisation or individual researcher.
  • A Māori organisation is defined as an organisation that identifies itself as Māori and uses (or wishes to use) research, science and technology or related activities.
  • A Research organisation is defined as an organisation that has the internal capability to carry out research, science and technology or related activities. Government departments (as defined in Schedule 2 of the Public Service Act 2020) are not considered to be Research organisations and are not eligible to apply for this funding.
  • An individual researcher is defined as a person operating on his or her own, and is not employed by a Research organisation, with the capability to carry out research, science and technology or related activities.
• Include both a Research organisation or individual researcher and a Māori organisation, with one or the other taking the lead as Contracting organisation and the other as Partner organisation.
  • A relationship must not be solely between the applicant and an organisation that is either a parent entity, subsidiary, or co-subsidiary of another organisation; or between departments within a single organisation (for example, a tertiary institution).
• Be for activities that fit one of the 2 schemes, and the requirements of one of the 2 schemes as set out in the Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund Investment Plan. For the Placement Scheme, a proposal must name the individual(s) who will be the placement person(s).
• Not be for activities for the same purpose already funded by any government agency.
• Not include any full-time tertiary or school students.
  • Proposals with work programme activities that are eligible for funding from the Ministry of Education, or Unlocking Curious Minds are a poor fit for Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund.
• Address one or more Vision Mātauranga themes, and not solely address hauora/health.
  • The MBIE-led investments outlined in the Investment Plan and the Health Research Council (HRC) investments are designed to complement each other. To avoid duplication with the investments made by the HRC, MBIE does not provide funding for programmes exclusively relevant to the health/hauora area. Proposals where hauora improvements are part of a much broader suite of outcomes will be considered.
• Be for activities the majority of which are to be undertaken in New Zealand, unless MBIE considers there are compelling reasons to consider the proposal.
  • If the majority of the work programme will not be carried out in New Zealand, then explain in your proposal the reasons for this and why they are compelling. If a work programme is to have significant linkages with indigenous knowledge practitioners in other countries, demonstrate how this will be of benefit to New Zealand.
• Not benefit a Russian state institution (including but not limited to support for Russian military or security activity) or an organisation outside government that may be perceived as contributing to the war effort.
• Be submitted via MBIE’s Investment Management System (IMS) and meet any applicable timing, formatting, content, or other administrative requirements set out by MBIE.

For more information, visit Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.