Marsden Fund Awards

Awanuiārangi Awarded First-Ever Marsden Grants, with Dual Success

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi is proud to announce that two esteemed researchers, Dr. Reuben Collier and Dr. Te Hauāuru Tahi-Rangihau, have been awarded funding from the prestigious Marsden Fund, granted and administered by The Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi. Both researchers are senior lecturers within Te Kura Whakawhānui Mātauranga - School of Postgraduate Studies, and former graduates of Awanuiārangi.

The Marsden Fund is highly competitive with a rigorous selection process. Securing two Marsden grants in a single funding round is an exceptional achievement, underscoring Awanuiārangi’s standing within the national research landscape and highlighting the strength and utility of Māori-led research conducted at the Wānanga.

Dr. Reuben Collier, MNZM, is an acclaimed television director and producer with a PhD in Indigenous Studies from Awanuiārangi.  His pioneering research project is designed to explore the unique nuances of Māori dialects with a particular emphasis on the Tūhoe dialect and its distinctive language features. With exclusive access to 400 hours of archival footage from the Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau: Ngā Tamariki o Te Kohu documentary series, Dr. Collier and his team:  Dr. Shonelle Wana, Julian Wilcox, and Peata Melbourne - will work to identify and document unique language elements, including metaphors, gestures, and cultural expressions essential for understanding the spoken history of te reo Māori.

Dr. Te Hauāuru Tahi-Rangihau is a senior lecturer at Awanuiārangi, where she also completed her PhD. Her groundbreaking project examines the therapeutic potential of mōteatea, traditional Māori chants and songs, to support Māori mental health and well-being. Historically, mōteatea have been a source of spiritual healing used to manage grief, promote resilience, and foster spiritual connection. In a contemporary context where Māori suffer disproportionately high levels of mental ill-health, Dr. Tahi-Rangihau and her team will explore how mōteatea might complement more conventional modes of mental health therapy through the integration of cultural concepts and philosophies – such as those that were traditionally expressed within mōteatea. To this end, her project will seek to establish a practical model for mōteatea-based therapy, providing a holistic approach to hauora Māori.  

Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Awanuiārangi, Te Kani Kingi, says, “We are extremely proud of both Dr. Collier and Dr. Tahi-Rangihau, whose historic success in securing dual Marsden grants brings significant recognition to Awanuiārangi as a site of academic excellence. This achievement reflects not only their exceptional scholarship but also the continued growth and impact of Māori-led research at our Wānanga. It’s a testament to the innovative, culturally grounded research being undertaken here, which contributes to advancing indigenous knowledge and addressing the needs of our communities.”