The TLRI 2025 funding round is open

We are pleased to announce that the TLRI is now accepting Expression of Interest applications for its 2025 funding round. All information is available here.

Since 2003, the TLRI has supported research addressing themes of strategic importance to education in Aotearoa New Zealand that will lead to improved equity and outcomes for ākonga. Partnerships between researchers and practitioners are integral to the TLRI.

As in recent years, the TLRI invites Expression of Interest applications for both funding pathways:

• The Open pathway, including Pacific research
• Whatua Tū Aka, a kaupapa Māori pathway.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 5pm, Wednesday 30 April 2025.

Key dates for 2025 for both pathways 

TLRI Te Tiriti Purpose Statement

In 2024, a strategic priority of the TLRI Advisory Board was to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The TLRI Te Tiriti purpose statement lays the foundation of how this commitment is implemented in practice. You can find the full statement here.

Priorities for 2025

This year, the TLRI Open Pathway is prioritising research that:

• contributes to the Government’s education priorities
• focuses on topics of strategic importance within the early childhood education, primary and/or secondary school sectors
• focuses on success for Māori learners as Māori
• focuses on success for Pacific learners as Pacific.

The Government’s education priorities are:

• Establishing a knowledge rich curriculum grounded in the science of learning
• Implementing evidence-based instruction in early literacy and mathematics
• Implementing consistent modes of monitoring student progression and achievement
• Developing the workforce of the future, including leadership development pathways
• Targeting effective learning support interventions for students with additional needs
• Using high-performing data and evidence to inform decision-making.

The Government has also set targets for attendance, and achievement for Year 8 students in reading, writing, and mathematics. The Government’s Māori Education Plan is available here.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 5pm, Wednesday 30 April 2025.  Click here for more information on TLRI Open pathway funding.

Pacific-focused research opportunities

Since 2022, researchers who plan to submit Pacific research applications to the TLRI’s Open pathway have been able to choose to have their proposals assessed against a set of Pacific criteria. These criteria describe research that utilises Pacific research methodologies, engages reciprocally with Pacific tamariki/rangatahi and communities, and privileges Pacific worldviews, languages, cultures, pedagogies, and knowledge systems.

The introduction of these criteria reflects the TLRI Advisory Board’s commitment to supporting and strengthening pathways for Pacific research projects in the TLRI.

Find out more here about the Pacific research criteria in the TLRI Open pathway.

Those interested can browse TLRI research reports here and more information about how to apply for TLRI Open pathway funding can be found here.

He whāinga wāhi mō ngā kairangahau kaupapa Māori

Ko Whatua Tū Aka tētahi ara whāngai pūtea mō ngā rangahau mātauranga kaupapa Māori. He mea kōkiri nā te Kōkiri Rangahau Whakaakoranga, Akoranga hoki (TLRI) i te tau 2020. He mea whakawhanake a Whatua Tū Aka kia maha ake ngā tono ki TLRI mai i ngā kairangahau mātauranga kaupapa Māori.

Ka taea e ngā kairangahau te tono mō Whatua Tū Aka, ahakoa i te wā tuku Puka Whakaatu Hiahia, i te wā tuku Puka Tono rānei.

Ko ngā kaitono mō Whatua Tū Aka ka tuku i tētahi Puka Whakaatu Hiahia ka whiwhi urupare mai i te pae ka taea e rātou te whakamahi hei mōhiotanga mō tā rātou Puka Tono. Kia āhei te uru ki te rārangi ka whiria mō te whiwhinga pūtea, me mātua tuku mai ngā kaitono o Whatua Tū Aka i tētahi tono, i te wāhanga Puka Tono. Kimihia ētahi atu mōhiotanga i: http://www.tlri.org.nz/apply-funding. Tēnā tiria tēnei ki ō whatunga.

I tēnei tau, e arotau ana te huarahi putea ko TLRI Whatua Tū Aka ki ngā rangahau e:

• āwhina ai i ngā whakaarotau mātauranga o te Kāwanatanga
• arotahi ai ki ngā kaupapa whai hiranga rautaki i roto i ngā rāngai akoranga kōhungahunga, kura tuatahi, kura tuarua, mātauranga mātua hoki/rānei
• arotahi ai ki te angitu mō ngā ākonga Māori hei Māori.

An opportunity for kaupapa Māori researchers

Whatua Tū Aka is a funding pathway for kaupapa Māori educational research. It was launched by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) in 2020. Whatua Tū Aka was developed to encourage more applications to the TLRI from kaupapa Māori educational researchers.

Researchers can apply to Whatua Tū Aka at either the Expression of Interest or the Full Proposal stage.

Whatua Tū Aka applicants who submit an Expression of Interest application will receive panel feedback that they can use to inform their Full Proposal application. To be considered for funding, Whatua Tū Aka applicants must submit an application at the Full Proposal stage. Find out more at: http://www.tlri.org.nz/apply-funding. Please share this with your networks.

This year, the TLRI Whatua Tū Aka pathway is prioritising research that:

• contributes to the Government’s education priorities
• focuses on topics of critical importance to Māori education within the early childhood, primary, secondary, and/or tertiary education sectors
• focuses on success for Māori learners as Māori.

Recently published TLRI research: Mātai mokopuna – he tirohanga wairua, hinengaro, tinana, whatumanawa

Every year, the TLRI funds new projects to enhance the links between educational research and practice. When teams complete their projects, they produce a report and summary of their findings.

Mātai mokopuna – he tirohanga wairua, hinengaro, tinana, whatumanawa is one of our recent publications, from Dr Hoana McMillan of Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.

This kaupapa Māori research project explored how whānau and kaiako give expression to the mana of mokopuna through the Māori dimensions of wairua (spirituality), tinana (physicality), hinengaro (cognition) and whatumanawa (emotion). You can find the summary and full research report here.