Venture Taranaki, the regional development agency, is celebrating for two reasons: Curious Minds Taranaki has secured further funding and has a new funding cycle open for 2022; secondly, over 1 million dollars of project funding has now been distributed to Taranaki projects.

Since 2015, Curious Minds Taranaki, a Participatory Science Platform (PSP), has funded 60 projects throughout the region to the value of $1,001,728, with additional in-kind and co-funding exceeding $788,900.

"We’re thrilled to reach such a significant milestone of funding distributed. We know this funding has positive impacts within our communities, allowing schools and community groups to research and tackle problems and questions that matter to them," says Justine Gilliland, Venture Taranaki Chief Executive.

The addition of a new project at the end of 2021, Kororā Kōrero led by Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society, aiming to understand the offshore behaviour of kororā (little blue penguin), has helped to reach the significant milestone.

In collaboration with Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, Kororā Kōrero is engaging students from Central and Moturoa Schools alongside Port Taranaki to develop a community-led marine monitoring programme.

Curious Minds Taranaki is delivered locally by Venture Taranaki in collaboration with the Taranaki Regional Council and funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Applicants can apply for funding up to $20,000 to use towards their projects.

"Curious Minds Taranaki allows everyone to get involved with science, technology and Mātauranga Māori, through community-led projects which ask topical questions of the world around them, bringing together science, technology, community, and business to develop solutions and innovations, while driving local learning and a passion for investigation and science. "Curious Minds Taranaki projects contribute to a brighter future, helping to achieve our strategic goals of talented people, prosperity, a restored and regenerative environment, and inclusive growth," continues Justine.

Venture Taranaki has secured funding to deliver the Participatory Science Platform in Taranaki until June 2024 with $154,000 of project funding available to allocate annually.

Expressions of interest are now open for the new funding round, and organisations and individuals are encouraged to register their ideas now. People can also register ideas all year-round through the Venture Taranaki website and be the first to know of available funding and take advantage of any other opportunities that become available.

"We’re excited we’re able to continue to fund collaborative projects that enable learning and investigations to enhance our backyard and the way we live, work, and play. We look forward to hearing your ideas for projects and how we can help turn them into research action," concludes Justine.

For more information and to register your idea visit curiousmindstaranaki.org.nz. The 2022 funding cycle is now open and applications close 21 March 2022.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

About the new project

Kororā Kōrero - Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society

Understanding offshore behaviour of kororā (little blue penguin) along the coastline of Taranaki is the focus of Kororā Kōrero in 2022.

Led by Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society in collaboration with Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, the project is engaging students from Central and Moturoa Schools alongside Port Taranaki to develop a community led marine monitoring programme.

Spending up to 80% of their time at-sea, only a limited amount can be learned about kororā through onshore efforts to protect the species. Until now, off-shore behaviour monitoring has only been carried out as short-term academic studies. Advances in technology and research techniques now makes it possible for trained local volunteers to carry out longer term monitoring.

Participants will study the at-sea movements and diving behaviour of kororā throughout various stages of their life cycle. Combining this foraging data with population data, the project will help inform and educate the community on the state of our immediate marine environment.

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