Te Reo Māori Revitalisation Scholarships Open

Te Reo Māori Revitalisation Scholarships Open

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga are calling for applications to their ‘Kia Ita’ Scholarships which opens today.

Five scholarships worth $10,000 each are available to post graduate Masters student’s and focus on building research capacity and capability and increasing the body of knowledge required to inform language revitalisation efforts.

“We are urging those who want to make a difference and who are taking action to ensure te reo Māori thrives in Aotearoa, to apply,” said Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Chief Executive Ngahiwi Apanui.

“The continued decline in the number of fluent speakers of the language is a serious concern, so there is an urgent need for us to be smarter in applying research findings to particular issues in Māori language revitalisation,” said Mr Apanui.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga ‘Kia Ita’ Scholarship programme was first launched in October last year and demonstrates the shared commitment of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga to te reo Māori and Māori-led research.

The scholarships will be administered by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, Centre of Research Excellence and contributes to the Centre’s commitment to embedding Māori language, values and practices into the fabric of its research programme and activities.

NPM Co-Director Professor Jacinta Ruru says, “Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga is once again delighted to partner with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori to offer these Masters level scholarships. The inaugural 2015 scholarships attracted a great deal of interest from a range of high calibre students, and the scholarships and associated support are providing them with the ideal start to their Masters studies.“

"Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori is a central research theme of our revitalised Centre of Research Excellence in 2016, and we are looking forward to further developing our partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori through these scholarships and continuing to demonstrate our joint commitment to both te reo and to research."

Applications for the 2016 ‘Kia Ita’ Scholarships close on April 18. To apply go online to www.maramatanga.ac.nz/npm-grants

Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga is also opening a suite of other scholarships and grants today, totaling over $500,000. These include Doctoral Scholarships, Publishing Support, Knowledge Event Support, Conference Attendance Support and Doctoral Bridging Grants for 2016, and are available to students and researchers from any of the 21 partners of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga based around the country.

Media contacts: Renee Ritete (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) – 027 238 8110; Mike Hennessy (Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga) – 021 666 462;m.hennessy@auckland.ac.nz

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori was set up under the Māori Language Act 1987 to promote the use of Māori as a living language and as an ordinary means of communication. We provide independent advice to the Minister for Māori Development about issues affecting the Māori language. Our mission is to support people so that the Māori language is a living and developing language, ensuring that te reo Māori is a living language that reflects life and culture in Aotearoa and becomes an ordinary means of communication in the home. Visit www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz

Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) is a Centre of Research Excellence hosted at the University of Auckland comprising 21 research partners and conducting research of relevance to Māori communities. Our vision is Māori leading New Zealand into the future. NPM research realises Māori aspirations for positive engagement in national life, enhances our excellence in Indigenous scholarship and provides solutions to major challenges facing humanity in local and global settings. Visit www.maramatanga.ac.nz

ENDS

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