University of Auckland – Waipapa Taumata Rau PhD student Ebony Komene is taking Māori nursing research onto the international stage after receiving the prestigious 2026 Fulbright–Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Graduate Award.
Komene, who affiliates to Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa and Tainui, will travel to the United States to continue research exploring the role of Indigenous Nurse Practitioners and how Indigenous models of healthcare can improve health outcomes for Indigenous communities.
Her research focuses on an area that remains under-explored despite the growing importance of Indigenous-led healthcare. By examining Indigenous nursing practice, Komene hopes to identify approaches that strengthen culturally grounded care while supporting greater equity across health systems.
As part of the Fulbright programme, Komene will undertake research at Washington State University and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she will engage with Indigenous nursing scholars, practitioners and communities.
The international experience will provide an opportunity to compare Indigenous models of care across different countries, exploring how shared values, traditional knowledge and community-led health services can contribute to better wellbeing for Indigenous peoples.
Central to Komene’s approach is the kaupapa of reciprocity and manaakitanga. Rather than simply gathering information, her research aims to build enduring relationships based on mutual respect, knowledge sharing and collaboration between Indigenous communities.
She hopes the connections formed through the Fulbright programme will create opportunities for ongoing partnerships that benefit both Māori and other Indigenous peoples long after the research exchange has concluded.
Komene says Indigenous health challenges are often shared across nations, making international collaboration an important way of developing innovative solutions while recognising the unique strengths of Indigenous knowledge systems.
Looking ahead, she hopes the research will contribute to strengthening the Indigenous Nurse Practitioner workforce in Aotearoa and support health systems that place culture, whānau and community at the centre of care.
The Fulbright–Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Graduate Award recognises emerging Māori researchers whose work has the potential to make a significant contribution to Indigenous scholarship, leadership and wellbeing both nationally and internationally.
#Tags
#RadioWaatea #EbonyKomene #Fulbright #NgāPaeoTeMāramatanga #MāoriHealth #IndigenousHealth #Nursing #NursePractitioner #WaipapaTaumataRau #UniversityOfAuckland #WhānauOra #Manaakitanga #IndigenousResearch #HealthEquity #MāoriResearch #Aotearoa #Ngāpuhi #TeArawa #Tainui #GlobalIndigenousHealth
