Pūtea Te Parahia Te Parahia: Contestable Fund

Applications open on 22 October 2026

This contestable fund has been established to help achieve our target sustainability outcomes by harnessing the innovation and expertise of the University community in addressing our global and local environmental challenges.

The fund uses revenue from the carbon levy, applied internally to all bookings for air travel, which was established in 2020 as part of the Zero Carbon Plan.

Key dates

Funding and criteria

It is anticipated $150,000 will be made available in the 2026 contestable fund round. Project bids are to be between a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $50,000 and will be assessed by a review panel against the following criteria:

• Impact—projects and initiatives that will deliver tangible (and measurable) impact towards better environmental outcomes, increased engagement with sustainability issues and/or growing the capacity of people to take meaningful action on sustainability issues.
• Maturity—projects and initiatives that build on existing work and relationships and/or have already undertaken significant planning to ensure the appropriate resourcing and approvals are in place to enable effective delivery.
• Benefit to the University—projects and initiatives that contribute to sustainability objectives and the strategic priorities of the University. Projects that could develop int, or support, larger external research funding bids are welcome.
• Planning—projects and initiatives that have achievable outcomes, justified budgets, and teams with the necessary skills and capacity.
• Engagement—projects and initiatives that capture the imagination, involve the wider University community and grow our reputation.
• Diversity—spreading funding across different parts of the University and different functional activities while also supporting projects with limited alternative funding avenues.

Eligibility

The Te Parahia contestable fund is open to all VUW staff (academic and professional staff). All projects must have a Project Leader who will be responsible for the management and reporting. The Project Leader must be accessible for the duration of the project and be either:

• a permanent member of the University’s staff, or
• a staff member employed on a contract with terms of more than one year covering the entire period of the initiative funded.

Students and external collaborators are encouraged to be included in the project team, but they cannot be the Project Leader.

The fund is not for:

• initiatives led by the Sustainability team
• sponsorship of external projects not led by University staff or students
• carbon-intensive activities, such as air travel
• “business as usual” activities
• literature reviews
• salaries for ongoing activity
• IT related overheads, and
• internal transfers, e.g. overhead costs or contributions to the costs of other parts of the University.

Operation of the Fund

Funding will be allocated to the Project Leader via an internal journal or the establishment of a research grant. Monies will be spent according to project conditions and specifications. Oversight will be by the Manutaki - Director, Sustainability.

Reporting

Project Leaders will be required to report to the Sustainability Team on the progress of their project against the objectives specified in their application mid-way through the project timeline and on completion of the project.

Previously funded projects

Projects which received funding previously include:

• Scholarships for current students to recognise and incentivise contribution to sustainability.
• Mapping sustainability and Mātauranga Māori across the curriculum.
• Kia Rangatira te Whenua: Researching historical mana whenua land use of the Kelburn campus and exploring options to honour that history.
• Exhibiting and Writing Environmental Futures
• Growing VUW’s carbon-friendly commuting community
• Establishing Sustainability Values Through Practical Laboratory Programmes
• Co-designing a tangible and student-led game to encourage climate action and alleviate eco-anxiety
• Te Kumutoto Wāhi Tūpuna: A gathering place of connection, collaboration, and community
• Ava: Sustainability for Animated Film Production