The Vision Mﾄ》auranga Development Fund (VMDF) aims to develop mutually beneficial research partnerships with Mﾄ｛ri communities, expand Indigenous knowledge (mﾄ》auranga Mﾄ｛ri) research, and advance Mﾄ｛ri academic leadership. Its approach enhances Mﾄ｛ri success and unlocks science and innovation potential of Mﾄ｛ri knowledge, people, and resources.
The recipients of this year窶冱 fund areﾌｲｹｲﾔｻ
Senior lecturer in Civil Systems Engineering Dr Peer窶冱 project engages with Mﾄ｛ri iwi and hapﾅｫ to understand indigenous perspectives on energy, sustainability, and energy transitions.
The project 窶廴ﾄ｛ri perspectives in New Zealand窶冱 sustainable energy future窶 supports ongoing research on pathways towards a net-zero energy system, with the goal of integrating mﾄ》auranga Mﾄ｛ri into planning and evaluating our energy futures in Aotearoa.
Dr Hughes, Senior ﾌﾌLecturer in Civil and Natural Resources Engineering uses the fund to engage with hapﾅｫ to investigate water resource resilience under climate change conditions, characterise past and future evolution of critical infrastructure systems that communities need for sustainable economies, and upskill locals in geospatial technologies to enhance their roles as kaitiaki (environmental stewards). His research is titled 窶廬wi and Infrastructure 窶 Enhancing Indigenous Input to Infrastructure System Development: A case study of Whirinaki, Hokianga, Te Tai Tokerau窶.
See more information on UC窶冱 Mﾄ｛ri Research Partnershipsﾌhere.
