Rangahau at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is going from strength to strength, with Dr Tara McAllister recently being awarded a prestigious research fellowship from Royal Society Te Apārangi.

The Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship supports early-career researchers to build the foundations of an excellent and impactful research career.

The fellowship is worth $820,000 over 4 years and around 20 are awarded each year across Aotearoa.

Tara is extremely grateful for the opportunity to extend her Rangahau. She is planning to establish an Indigenous science lab which will contribute to the flourishing role of Rangahau at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and beyond.

“I want to transform how we do science in Aotearoa, from the work we do on the ground to our overall research and institutional structures by building innovative research communities.”

 Tara will also investigate how the Vision Mātauranga (VM) policy – which promised to 'unlock the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people' – has been used to guide researchers in Aotearoa over the last 2 decades.

With a background in freshwater ecology, Tara is interested in the intersections of mātauranga Māori and ecology, te taiao and environmental management, and has worked extensively on highlighting inequities for Māori in the research sector.

Her research aims to expand our understanding of how mātauranga can be used alongside science, highlight areas of opportunity, and show how drawing from 2 knowledge systems enhances our ability to grasp problems and the likelihood of creating solutions.

“For decades, Māori knowledge and Māori researchers have been marginalised in our research sector, and this fellowship offers a unique opportunity to carve out a distinct space for Māori in science.”

Tara has been with Te Manawahoukura since early 2024 and brought with her the Marsden funding she secured in 2023 for her research project, ‘Vision Mātauranga – is it past its used-by date?’.

Te Manawahoukura director, Dr Rebecca Kiddle is thrilled Tara has been recognised.

“It’s fantastic news. These fellowships are prestigious and very hard to get, and it shows the quality of her Rangahau and currency of the kaupapa she will work on. We’re delighted for her, and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is the right place to develop an Indigenous science lab!”

Te Manawahoukura, the Rangahau centre of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, has secured over $7 million in grants and fellowships since being established during Matariki 2023, showing the importance of values-based Rangahau that celebrates Māori ways of doing and being.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kairangahau now hold 3 Tāwhia te Mana fellowships. With Dr Rebecca Kiddle and Dr James Berghan awarded in 2024, Tara's fellowship is the third for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, showcasing the organisation's rapidly growing research capability.

Find out more about Te Manawahoukura here: www.temanawahoukura.org.nz