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A senior Maori health researcher is concerned a review of the Health Research Council could threaten Maori research and workforce development.
The review is being conducted jointly by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry of Health.
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman say the review will measure the council against the Government’s draft National Statement of Science Investment, which sets out a strategy to maximise the contribution of science to economic growth, prosperity, and the wellbeing of New Zealanders.
Auckland University Associate Professor Papaarangi Reid says the council, which has an annual budget of about $79 million, has invested effectively in Maori health through scholarships and project funding.
It has created a Maori committee to set priorities, and is now recognised internationally as a leader in indigenous health research.
Dr Reid says Maori researchers don’t want to see a repeat of the Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga debacle, which lost its funding in a process that lacked Maori input and took a one size fits all approach to research.
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