Māori CoRE selection committee announced

21 October 2014

Māori CoRE selection committee announced

A panel of highly qualified and respected experts has been chosen to undertake the process of selecting a Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) focused on Māori research.

In Budget 2014 the Government committed $5million of funding each year for five years from 2016 for a Māori CoRE. The Tertiary Education Commission is responsible for managing the process to select the Māori CoRE. This is the first time dedicated funding has been set aside for a Māori CoRE in recognition of Māori research excellence.

“Supporting Māori research, methodologies, and approaches is critical for Māori and New Zealand’s cultural, social and economic development. Once selected the Māori CoRE will lead and support the realisation of this,” said TEC chief executive Tim Fowler.

The selection committee announced today will be chaired by Emeritus Professor Sir Mason Durie, a highly regarded expert and leader in Māori health and education and indigenous development. Joining Sir Mason Durie on the committee is -

• Mr Haami Piripi, a member of the Iwi Chairs Forum and the Chair of the mātauranga sub-committee of the Iwi Chairs Forum
• Mr Rawiri Faulkner, general Manager, Māori strategy, at the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science (GNS)
• Dr Jessica Hutchings, manager of Te Wāhanga, New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER)
• Dr Charlotte Severne, director of ‘Severne and Associates Ltd
• Dr Tanira Kingi, portfolio Leader, Māori Agribusiness, for Ag Research
• Dr Keawe’aimoku Kaholokula, chair and associate professor of Native Hawaiian Health, University of Hawai’i.

Sir Mason Durie notes that the members bring together a variety of expertise and knowledge allowing for a robust and well informed selection process.

“In bringing the selection committee together it was important to ensure the members had complementary skills and expertise in areas of research competence; governance and management of research; access to Te Ao Māori; and knowledge of tertiary education. I am confident we have achieved this with the selection committee announced today,” said Sir Mason Durie.

The selection process for the first Māori CoRE is underway. Applicants have until mid- November to submit their pre-proposals and this will be followed by a full application. An announcement of the successful Māori CoRE is expected by June 2015.

Committee members for the Māori CoRE selection round

Sir Mason Durie (chair)
As Emeritus Professor of Māori Research and Development at Massey University, and a highly regarded leader in Māori health and education and indigenous development Sir Mason Durie brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the selection committee. He also brings to the selection committee deep expertise in all four areas assessed, including research expertise in Māori health and education, management and governance and tertiary education knowledge.

Mr Haami Piripi (deputy chair)
As chair of the Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa, member of the Iwi Chairs Forum and the Chair of the mātauranga sub-committee of the Iwi Chairs Forum, Mr Piripi offers a wealth of experience in iwi development, and knowledge of te Ao Māori. He has also been the head of Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission.

Mr Rawiri Faulkner
Mr Faulkner is General Manager - Māori Strategy, at the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science (GNS). He offers knowledge and experience in governance and management, and holds a number of directorships at local government and NGO level. Rawiri has been involved in a number of review and advisory panels for the Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation (now MBIE), and the development and implementation of Vision Mātauranga. Rawiri brings a broad range of experience in Māori development and strategic planning.

Dr Jessica Hutchings
Dr Hutchings is the Manager of Te Wāhanga, the Māori research team at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). She is an experienced kaupapa Māori researcher whose research with Māori communities, hapū and whānau spans the Māori education, environment, health and social justice areas.

Dr Charlotte Severne
Dr Severne is the Director of ‘Severne and Associates Ltd’ a company that provides advice in such areas as Māori research capacity development, environmental risk assessment and business and science planning. Dr Severne has previously held senior management positions at NIWA including Chief Scientist Oceans Research and Chief Scientist Māori Development.

Dr Tanira Kingi
Dr Kingi is currently a Senior Scientist and Science Advisor in Agricultural Economics and Systems with AgResearch Ltd. He has worked extensively with Māori land organisations over the past 20 years, and more recently with post settlement entities, on a range of issues including land use change, sustainable production systems, and pastoral agriculture and waterways. Dr Kingi has a PhD in agricultural economics and development from the Australian National University where he developed links into the South Pacific. He is currently leading a research and development team into the reform of Fiji’s dairy industry.

Dr Keawe’aimoku Kaholokula
Dr Kaholokula has a PhD in clinical psychology and is the Chair and Professor of Native Hawaiian Health in the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. His research includes examining biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors, and their interplay, affecting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health and developing community-based and culturally-relevant interventions. Areas of focus include diabetes and obesity. Dr Kaholokula also provides an international perspective.

ENDS

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