Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi has been selected for a prestigious national research initiative, recognising the strength of its doctoral programme and its leadership in kaupapa Māori research.

The wānanga’s doctoral project has been chosen for the second annual Applied Doctorates Scheme (ADS), a programme designed to connect top doctoral researchers with industry to deliver practical solutions for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Awanuiārangi is the only wānanga in the country to offer doctoral-level research.

The project, Mana Whenua-Led Alerting, Sensing and Earth Observation, will be delivered in partnership with Māori telecommunications leader Tū Ātea Ltd. This collaboration represents a powerful model of applied research grounded in kaupapa Māori and delivered in partnership with Māori industry.

Led by Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, the research will combine indigenous knowledge with emerging technologies to improve emergency alerting systems, environmental monitoring and data sovereignty in high-risk environments.

The project is grounded in real-world environmental security challenges, which reveal a systemic gap in sovereign alerting, sensing and observation capabilities for high-risk indigenous whenua across Aotearoa.

Smith says, “This project demonstrates the power of kaupapa Māori research to deliver solutions that serve our communities while contributing to national and global knowledge.”

Through the Applied Doctorates Scheme, a doctoral candidate will work across Awanuiārangi, iwi and industry, helping develop new tools and systems that can be used by communities, regional authorities and other operators across the country.

The initiative will also help build Māori capability in science and technology, supporting pathways into advanced industries and strengthening the role of Māori innovation in New Zealand’s economy.

Industry partner Tū Ātea will play a key role in translating the research into real-world application, supporting the development of commercially viable solutions that can be scaled for iwi, communities and high-risk environments across Aotearoa.

Hermione McCallum, Tū Ātea chief policy officer, said, “This partnership reflects the kind of applied, kaupapa Māori-led innovation we’re here to build. This is a chance to put our expertise to work translating world class research into useful solutions owned and driven by Māori, for Māori.”