Home > Current funding > Funding for research organisations > Vision Mātauranga capability fund

Current funding
Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

This gazetted document is the Ministerial Direction for investing Foundation funds in the Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund from 1 July 2010.   

Objective of the Scheme

The objective of the scheme is to unlock the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people by developing skilled people and organisations to undertake or otherwise contribute to research that supports the four themes of the Vision Mātauranga policy framework:

  • Indigenous innovation; 
  • Taiao - environmental sustainability;
  • Hauora/Oranga – Improving health and social well being; and 
  • Mātauranga – Exploring indigenous knowledge and RS&T.

The Scheme will support research, science and technology that is intended to be of benefit to New Zealand.

It is also expected that the scheme will ensure that international collaboration is supported where this is of benefit to the objectives of scheme.

Indicators of success

If successful, the Scheme will contribute to research, science and technology that will:

  • Increase  and strengthen the community of researchers, stakeholders and users with the ability to unlock the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people;
  • Foster effective technology transfer from the science system to stakeholders and users relevant to the themes of Vision Mātauranga; and
  • Develop networks for knowledge transfer, and technology transfer, relevant to the four themes of Vision Mātauranga. 

The above indicators will be measured by the Foundation at a sector level and will provide some indication of the success of the Scheme through regular evaluations.

Nature of the Scheme

The Scheme supports the four themes of Vision Mātauranga, through:

  • Investing in research that contributes to unlocking the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people;
  • Fellowships and other mechanisms which build and develop research communities capable of delivering Vision Mātauranga research outcomes; 
  • Ensuring quality engagement between the science system, stakeholders, and users of Vision Mātauranga research and other research outcomes, with a focus on knowledge sharing and technology transfer.

Tools for Allocating Funding

Research, science and technology supported under this Scheme must in each case fit one of the following Tools (PDF; 313kb):

  • Science-led contestable funding – investing through a contestable process in research, science and technology and related activities. 
  • Fellowships - fellowships aimed at developing skilled people to undertake research and/or contribute to the delivery of research outcomes that supports the four themes of the Vision Mātauranga policy framework.

Estimated Funding

An estimate of the amount of funds required to be allocated by the Foundation for the purposes of the Scheme is $3.49 million in 2010/11, excluding GST.  Actual funding available will be published each year in the annual Estimates of Appropriation.

Estimated Period of Operation

I estimate that the Scheme will operate for a minimum of three years from 1 July 2010; however I anticipate reviewing this notice by 1 July 2011.

Monitoring Agency

The Ministry of Research, Science and Technology will monitor and review the Scheme.

Performance Measures

Annual performance measures for the Scheme will be published in the annual Estimates of Appropriation.  Additional performance measures to measure progress will be specified in the Output Agreement.