Rangahau
Scholarships and awards
We support Māori cancer researchers at every stage – because increasing Māori cancer research capacity is one of the ways we address the disparities whānau experience across the cancer pathway.
Māori Cancer Researcher Awards
Run with Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa, the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa and Hei Āhuru Mōwai are partnering again in 2026 to award a round of Research Master’s and PhD scholarships to Māori cancer researchers.
In Cancer Society’s words, the awards show a shared commitment to advancing Māori aspirations in cancer research, and recognise how much representation in the research workforce matters to getting there.
2026 round, open now
- Opened
- Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Closes
- Friday 16 October 2026
What is awarded
Research Master's Scholarship
One year
- Stipend $40,000
- Tuition fees $10,000
PhD Scholarship
Three years
- Stipend $45,000 a year
- Tuition fees $10,000 a year
- Tikanga contribution $10,000 across the award
Who can apply
- Of Māori descent, and resident in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Enrolled, or intending to enrol, in a Research Master’s or PhD at a University or Whare Wānanga in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Academic supervision that includes at least one Māori supervisor. If you cannot identify one, Cancer Society asks you to get in touch before applying.
The awards are for researchers committed to hauora Māori, maximising Māori cancer health gains, addressing existing cancer inequities, or fostering Māori health aspirations. Applications that include kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori are valued.
If you have not enrolled yet, you can still apply; the award is then conditional on enrolling. Part-time study is welcome, with the scholarship pro-rated.
The application guidelines above carry the full criteria and are the version that decides an application.
How to apply
Applications go to Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa through their online grant portal, which also holds the full eligibility criteria and supporting documents. Read the guidelines for the scholarship you are applying for first.
Apply through the grant portal (opens in a new tab)
Questions about applying go to their research team at research@cancer.org.nz.
If you would like to kōrero with us about the awards or about Māori cancer research more broadly, we would like to hear from you.
Ask us about the awardsThe most recent recipients
Cancer Society announced the latest awards in February 2026: PhD scholarships to Robbie Richardson (Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi) and Ariana Drabble (University of Otago), and a Master’s scholarship to Katya Hutton (University of Auckland). Read Cancer Society’s announcement (opens in a new tab)
Past recipients are listed with Cancer Society’s national research grants (opens in a new tab).
Dates, award values and eligibility above are Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa’s, taken from their Māori Cancer Researcher Awards 2026 page (opens in a new tab) and checked on 14 September 2026. Where this page and theirs differ, theirs is correct.
Āhuru Ākonga
Beyond funding, we have developed tikanga and recommendations for universities and other research institutions on how to look after Māori Masters, PhD and Post-doctoral students during their study.
Looking after a student’s mauri, wairua, tinana, hinengaro and whānau brings benefits to the student, the institution, and Aotearoa nui tonu.