Home-located research

Manaaki New Zealand Scholars enrolled in a PhD or a postgraduate qualification, who meet the criteria, can apply for funding for home-located research.

If you are a Manaaki New Zealand Scholar and enrolled in a PhD or a postgraduate qualification with a mandatory research component worth a minimum of 90 credit points, you are eligible to apply for funding for fieldwork in your home country.

Home-located research criteria

The International Development Scholarships team can approve home-located research for a maximum period of up to three months for Master’s scholars and up to six months for PhD scholars, where it is an essential part of your course. You are normally only entitled to one research period during your scholarship. Usually your research will be undertaken in your home country so that:

  • It is under local conditions.
  • It can contribute to the development of your home country.
  • It can support you to develop and maintain professional and employment networks in your home country.

Home-located research plan

You must submit a home-located research plan to your ISO at least three months in advance of the proposed fieldwork (or as soon as possible). The plan must include:

  • an itinerary/timetable and description of research
  • budget information on what the post-graduate research allowance will be spent on
  • any justification for home-located research that does not meet the home-located research criteria, for example, research in another developing country
  • a support letter from your supervisor
  • any relevant supporting documentation.

It is up to your ISO, in conjunction with you and the faculty, to determine whether you could realistically undertake research within your scholarship timeline. For some scholars, depending on the duration of their programme and size of their intended research project, there will not be sufficient justification to support home-located research.

Once your plan has been approved by your ISO, you will need to contact APX to book your travel. MFAT will cover your travel to and from home-located research (including domestic travel) under a standard economy class air ticket by the most economical air travel route to your home country. MFAT will not fund travel to multiple research locations in your home country.

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