Appendix: Use of RSI funding by and for Māori
This snapshot provides insights to how investments made by selected government research, science and innovation funds are being awarded to Māori-led projects, distinctively kaupapa Māori projects, and projects designed to have a positive impact on Māori well-being.
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The snapshot captures the quantum of funding going to projects that indicate relevance for Māori, number of Māori researchers, and explores the nature of projects indicating they will make a significant difference for Māori, or that are aligned to the themes or principles of Vision Mātauranga.
The snapshot has been built from administrative data for 8 government funds for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 funding rounds (or equivalent years). These funds account for around 40% of government RSI funding available each year.
The quality of the insights that can be drawn from administrative data is influenced by data limitations including lack of data, and inconsistency in data collection and definitions. Note also that the data used in the analysis is self-reported information.
Notes and key definitions in this appendix
This information is drawn and analysed from administrative data held and provided by MBIE, Callaghan Innovation and The Royal Society.
Dollar values are the amounts awarded to projects in the 2018 to 2020 funding rounds (or equivalent), not exact money spent.
The dollar value of projects that indicated relevance to Māori does not necessarily equate to the amount of money spent on or impact created for Māori.
Kaupapa Māori research projects are those that indicate that 50% or more of the project is kaupapa Māori research as defined in MBIE’s funding profiling categorisation questions. Only 4 funds collect this categorisation information.
The number of kaupapa Māori projects may be underestimated in VMCF as data on project categorisation was only available for 2018 and 2019 (not 2020, at the time of this analysis).
Researchers are all key personnel listed on an application – ‘key individuals’, ‘researchers’ or similar.
Māori researchers are those who self identified as individuals of Māori ethnicity. Only 3 funds had this ethnicity information.