He Papa Moana / Te Whakaheke o te Wai: Master’s Scholarships Available
Up to four Master’s Scholarships are available for 2021 to work under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Ocean Mercier at Te Kawa a Māui, on projects that support iwi and hapū interests in marine and freshwater environments.
The five-year Moana project (He Papa Moana) is led by MetService alongside the Whakatōhea community. The project explores ocean dynamics and connectivity in relation to destabilising influences and how mātauranga Māori connects and inter-relates with this physical data. He Papa Moana will develop a cross-cultural ocean-knowledge foundation which draws on historical ocean observing, voyager experiences and mātauranga to support the revitalisation of Māori as oceanographers, inform iwi interests and enhance ocean health.
The five-year research project Te Whakaheke o te Wai (Pathways and Flows of the Waters) is led by GNS Science working with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga. One aspect of this project is gathering oral histories and mātauranga Māori from literature and oral sources, exploring how these can constrain and refine physical models of particle and water flow. Projects are invited that extend tangata whenua understandings on how to connect mātauranga to physical data on groundwater location, flow and quality and support hapū aspirations for freshwater quality and management.
We’re looking for candidates who can apply any of the questions or aspects above to their own whanau/hapū/iwi communities in Master’s level research. Successsful candidates will join a vibrant and thriving group of postgraduate students and researchers in Te Kawa a Māui, and contribute to a multidisciplinary team of researchers from various institutions.
Applicants should have completed either an Honours or Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g Māori Studies, environmental studies, marine ecology) by February 2021. They should also have whakapapa links to the iwi/hapū of interest in their proposed project, and should be able to start by March 2021. Applications will close on or before 11 December.
More information on each project can be found here:
He Papa Moana/Moana Project Master’s Scholarships: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scholarships/current/he-papa-moanamoana-project-masters-scholarship
Te Whakaheke o te Wai (Freshwater Pathways and Flows) Master’s Scholarships: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scholarships/current/te-whakaheke-o-te-wai-freshwater-pathways-and-flows-masters-scholarship