Te tono mō ngā pūtea Huarahi Tuwhera | Applying for Open Pathway Funding
The TLRI fund supports collaborative educational research by researchers and practitioners that addresses themes of strategic importance to education in New Zealand, that will lead to improve equity and outcomes for learners. The Open pathway is available to all researchers, methodologies and knowledge systems. See below for details on the application process.
Applicants to the Open pathway have the choice of being assessed with Pacific research criteria that are underpinned by Pacific values, utilise Pacific research methodologies, engage reciprocally with Pacific tamariki/rangatahi and communities, and privilege Pacific worldviews, languages, cultures, pedagogies, and knowledge systems. Visit Applying for Pacific research funding for further details.
The Whatua Tū Aka pathway supports kaupapa Māori educational research and has specific criteria. Refer to Applying for Whatua Tū Aka Funding to determine which pathway is most appropriate for your proposed research.
Browse recent projects funded through the Open pathway at our Open Pathway research page.
Open pathway eligibility for funding
To be eligible for TLRI funding, proposals need to come from partnerships involving education practitioners and researchers. Practitioners may include, but are not limited to: teachers and kaiako in kindergartens, early childhood centres, kōhanga reo, and Pacific language nests; teachers and kaiako in kura, primary, intermediate, and secondary schools; and lecturers and tutors working in universities, wānanga, polytechnics, and private training establishments. Students and ākonga; families and whānau; hapū, iwi and communities may also be part of the partnership.
Researcher–practitioner partnerships should be integral to the design of the project. There needs to be a focus on individuals in the team using their collective expertise, and on all team members having the opportunity to learn from each other, rather than on explicitly developing the research skills of the practitioner members of the project team. In this partnership, practitioners might take the role of advisors, data gatherers, informants, etc. and not necessarily be integral to all aspects of the thinking inside the partnership.
Open pathway application process
In the Open Pathway, there is a two-stage process for applying for funding with the TLRI:
- Expression of Interest stage
- Full Proposal stage.
The TLRI will open the call for Expressions of Interest on 3 March 2025. The deadline for submitting an EOI is 5pm, 30 April 2025.
Please use the Open Pathway EOI Form for the current year available here.
After a shortlisting process, successful candidates will be invited to submit a Full Proposal to the Open Pathway. All EOIs and full proposal applications receive feedback.
For further details, refer to the Open pathway guidance document available here.
Rātaka tuku pūtea |
Key Funding Dates 2025
3 Mar
Expressions of interest open
30 Apr 5pm
Expressions of interest close
2 May
Full proposals open for Whatua Tū Aka pathway
23 June
Selection panel feedback provided to all applicants AND Open pathway applicants notified of shortlisting decision
21 Aug 5pm
Full Proposals close for Whatua Tū Aka and Open pathways
Ngā rauemi tono |
Application Resources
