The Awards recognise and celebrate achievement and impact from our AUT Māori research community. The awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge Māori researchers, tauira, supervisors and professional staff whose contributions are making a difference through Māori research at AUT and within our wider communities. The awards will be presented at the Te Ranga Tukutuku Hui ā-Tau on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Individual Researcher or Team
Recognises a Māori researcher or Māori-led AUT research team whose rangahau has achieved significant and demonstrable impact for Māori communities while advancing Māori research aspirations at AUT.
Who can be nominated
A Māori researcher employed by AUT in a permanent or fixed-term role, or an AUT-led or co-led research team led by a Māori AUT researcher. Teams must have a majority of Māori members and a majority of members employed by or enrolled at AUT.
Individual
Recognises an early-career Māori researcher whose rangahau has demonstrated achievement and impact for Māori communities while advancing Māori research aspirations at AUT.
Who can be nominated
A Māori researcher employed by AUT in a permanent or fixed-term role who completed their doctoral qualification within the six years preceding the close of nominations.
Individual
Recognises a Māori postgraduate research student whose rangahau has demonstrated achievement or potential impact for Māori communities.
Who can be nominated
A Māori student currently enrolled in a Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or doctoral research programme at AUT.
Individual
Recognises a Māori academic whose supervision and mentorship have positively impacted Māori postgraduate researchers, their rangahau and Māori research at AUT.
Who can be nominated
A Māori academic employed by AUT in a permanent or fixed-term role who is currently supervising Māori postgraduate research students at AUT.
Individual or Group/Division
Recognises a Māori professional staff member or Māori-led AUT team whose leadership, support or service has made a significant and demonstrable contribution to Māori research at AUT.
Who can be nominated
A Māori professional staff member employed by AUT in a permanent or fixed-term role, or an AUT team led or co-led by a Māori AUT staff member. Teams must have a majority of Māori members and a majority of members employed by AUT.
General Members of Te Ranga Tukutuku are invited to nominate someone for an award.
Before submitting a nomination, please ensure the nominee is aware of and agrees to being nominated. Nominators will be asked to select the relevant award category and provide a statement of no more than 750 words outlining the nominee’s achievement, contribution and impact against the relevant award criteria.
Supporting evidence is optional and can include links to publications, websites, media coverage, documents, testimonials, audio or video material.
Eligible nominations will be assessed against the published criteria for the selected award category. Assessment will consider the nominee’s achievement, the nature and significance of their contribution, the quality and relevance of the supporting evidence and the demonstrated impact relevant to the award.
Each category will normally have one recipient. A Highly Commended nominee may also be recognised where appropriate.
Recipients will be formally recognised at the Te Ranga Tukutuku Hui ā-Tau and presented with a certificate and taonga. Their achievements and contributions will also be recognised through the Te Ranga Tukutuku website, annual report, end-of-year pānui and other AUT communication channels.