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Māori Summer Internships 2023-24

Poipoia kia rere – helping the fledgling to fly

These internships are open to tauira Māori in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or final year at University or Wānanga looking to grow their skills and career pathways in Māori informed and mātauranga Māori led research

Each intern is mentored through a kaupapa Māori-led programme plan and will work alongside experienced Manaaki Whenua scientists or researchers. The 'living wage’ is paid. The internships are for 25 hours per week and will begin in November and end early in February.

Applications for 2023-24 are now closed

The information below provides an indication of the kinds of internship that we offer.

Science communication & climate change

Flooded road following Cyclone Gabrielle

Flooded road following Cyclone Gabrielle

Te tipu te Māramatanga: The development of a science communication strategy for climate change adaptation

Location: Kirikiriroa | Hamilton

The student will be supporting the development of communication strategies for projects under Te Tipu te Māramatanga.

This position has been filled

Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture

Indigenous narratives in regenerative agriculture

Location: Ideally Lincoln, but can be done remotely

The goal of this project is to identify narratives expressed by indigenous entities (communities, not-for-profit initiatives, agribusinesses, educators, legislators, etc.) in relation to regenerative agriculture in Aotearoa and Canada.

This position has been filled

Ecological Restoration

Whenua Koiora: Resilient Ecological Restoration

Location: Kirikiriroa | Hamilton

This project aims to understand what resilient restoration looks like for iwi and hapū within the Waikato. A number of experts (approximately 5-8) who are leading or supporting iwi and hapū to restore their taiao within the Waikato will be interviewed. There will be a more focused case study looking at work Ngāti Whakamarurangi is leading around Toreparu Wetland (western Waikato) and what restoration looks like for them in the face of climate change. Our major output will be a restoration plan for Toreparu wetland which reflects an indigenous perspective of restoration and resilience.

This position has been filled

Review: Māori in science

Woven harakeke

The Acceptance of Alien – The Changing Landscape of Māori in Science

Location: Kirikiriroa | Hamilton

This project is designed to build bridges between western sciences in the sustainability space and Māori narratives on sustainability, which will include aspects of mātauranga Māori.

This position has been filled

Water Policy & GIS

Lake Whatumā. Image: Lakes 380

Lake Whatumā. Image: Lakes 380

Enabling kaitiakitanga using planning mechanisms – a water policy and GIS approach

Location: Palmerston North

The intern will use relevant tools to inform water policy and land-based environmental management. This includes the use of spatial data, analysis and modelling as well as land use management practices.  The project involves a local approach to policy mechanisms that underpin water and land use management for Lake Whatumā (Hatuma), Waipukurau. This includes enabling iwi/hapū/whānau to manage, mitigate, rehabilitate and develop the Lake and surrounds inline with their aspirations. GIS will be an important tool to bring together data and information, as well as share these data visually.

This position has been filled.

River restoration

Hōteo Awa. Image: Auckland Council

Hōteo Awa. Image: Auckland Council

The development of a hapū-informed communications strategy for the effective uptake of western science and mātauranga Māori, leading to empowered hapū-led river restoration

Location: Kirikiriroa | Hamilton

The intern will develop a communications strategy for Ngā Māunga Whakahii o Kaipara that will provide a case-study for the He Awa Ora Project, which critically analyses the relevance and use of geomorphic concepts and other science principles, alongside mātauranga, in hapū-led river restoration.

This position has been filled

Thermal tolerance of plant metabolism under a warming climate

Developing a measuring protocol to quantify the thermal tolerance of leaf metabolism using the state-of-the-art technique 

Location: Palmerston North

  • Measuring the temperature response curve of leaf respiration and minimal chlorophyll a fluorescence in the lab 
  • Data analysis/computer programming 
  • Literature review 

This position has been filled

Meet the 2022-23 interns

Mā ngā huruhuru te manu ka rere – With the aid of feathers, the bird can take flight

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