Royal Society fellowships awarded to eight University researchers

Eight researchers from the Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland have been recognised as future leaders, receiving Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships from the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

The new fellowships, with a total funding of $6.56m support researchers at different career stages to produce excellent and impactful research and to develop into leaders in their fields, at their respective host organisations and across the whole of the Aotearoa New Zealand science, innovation and technology (SI&T) system.

The Fellowships will develop and improve the retention of future research leaders, support career development and enhance equity and diversity. Mana Tuāpapa Future Leader Fellowships have been awarded to:

• Dr Karamia Müller, Creative Arts and Industries, Self-Determination in Pacific Housing: Understanding and Promoting Empowerment
• Dr Eileen Joy, Education and Social Work, What 'counts' as evidence in social wellbeing policymaking and development in Aotearoa New Zealand?
• Dr Ying (Ingrid) Wang, Education and Social Work, Enhancing cultural competency for working with Asian learners in New Zealand schools
• Dr Farha Ramzan, Liggins Institute, Weaving Mātauranga and Science: the immunomodulatory role of kawakawa
• Dr Neil Birrell, Science, Beyond the Apocalypse: Evidence-based insect conservation for giant flightless weevils in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Dr Stephanie Stuteley, Science, Key regulators of redox metabolism in pathogenic bacteria
• Dr William Pearman, Science, Holobiont histories – rewinding host-microbe evolution to identify the contributions of microbes to host adaptation and resilience
• Dr Bicheng (Amy) Zhu, Science, Conductive Soil: Electrifying a sustainable future with increased food production

Nationwide results are on the Royal Society Te Apārangi website .