Vision Mātauranga aims to unlock the potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people to enhance New Zealand’s research landscape and foster economic, social and cultural prosperity for Māori. It is crucial that Māori benefit from the outcomes of the research undertaken, and this should be articulated clearly.

When developed effectively, research projects that embed Vision Mātauranga from the outset can clearly demonstrate how Māori will directly benefit from the research. Achieving this requires early and meaningful engagement with Māori to collaboratively define the problem that the research seeks to address.

Levels of Māori engagement

Most government research funding agencies classify research involving Māori into five categories. These are:

1. Research with no specific Māori component
2. Research specifically relevant to Māori
3. Research involving Māori
4. Māori-centered research
5. Kaupapa Māori research

It can be challenging to know where your research fits within these categories. The last two categories – Māori-centred and Kaupapa Māori research – are usually led by Māori researchers and require the use of Mātauranga Māori-based methods and methodologies.

The first three categories can be harder to define. Most research in Aotearoa New Zealand often includes some element relevant to Māori. Researchers in categories two and three need to think about how their work might impact Māori and how Mātauranga Māori (Māori traditional knowledge, language, practices and culture) could be involved.

How to apply Vision Mātauranga

• Rauika Māngai: A Guide to Vision Mātauranga
  Lessons from Māori voices in the New Zealand science sector.
• Te Ara Tika guidelines for Māori research ethics: A framework for researchers and ethics committee members
  For researchers, ethics committee members, and those who engage in consultation or advice on Māori ethical issues from a local, regional, national or international perspective.
• Te Mata Ira guidelines for genomic research with Māori
  For researchers, ethics committee members and those who engage in consultation or advice about genomic research with Māori. It draws on a foundation of mātauranga and tikanga Māori.

For enquiries not related to a research project or ethics application.
Email: rangahau@auckland.ac.nz