New Zealand Institute for Pacific Research

A collaboration between University of Otago, University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology www.nzipr.ac.nz

Call for Expressions of Interest

The NZIPR is charged to develop an extensive, cross-disciplinary research capability relevant to Pacific Island challenges and opportunities. This capability will span and include policy studies, business, law, culture, finance, politics, health, social, economic research and investment analysis, development studies, and environmental research. It will provide intellectual leadership concerning New Zealand’s engagement with the Pacific region; enhancing New Zealand’s role as a thought- leader on Pacific issues, illuminating New Zealand’s role in the region, and be a focal point for the transmission of knowledge within the Pacific region.

The NZIPR is not a funding agency, but a national Institute founded on a participative model of undertaking research in which Pacific people are actively engaged as researchers, not merely as research subjects. This approach has proved to be compelling to the wider community. It is this whakapapa and kaupapa that form the foundation of the Consortium between University of Otago, University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology. It will guide the Consortium’s engagement in this unique opportunity to bring together and build on the different and complementary strengths of the founding partners to focus on advancing not only a much deeper understanding of the issues and challenges that face the communities in our region but more importantly, collectively develop sustainable and durable solutions and responses to them.

Potential research topics should be discrete projects, which can be expected to be completed in 12 months or less, and which will deliver new knowledge, but also have a real world dimension: such as practical tools and usable outcomes. We can think very broadly about this, but projects which have some engagement with sustainable economic development, and other central concerns for the Pacific, should be in our minds. We encourage contributions from those who are in a position to lead the project (and have a track record that demonstrates this). Successful projects will be in keeping with the kaupapa of the NZIPR, as described above. The final workplan will be a collaborative enterprise, and will seek to advance the objectives of the Institute. We will have probably no more than 10 projects in the first phase of the initial multi-year workplan. Please invest your time proportional to this very preliminary stage of thinking; as we have tried to make the process of expressing your interest efficient.

Budgets for the projects are across the range of $150,000 to $220,000, depending on scope and deliverables. These should be collaborative and team-based projects that align with the wider goals of the Institute, and are of the kind indicated above. For the research projects currently underway, please see the attached document or visit our website. During the development of the NZIPR, a range of other topics were also discussed. These included: • Enhancing regional collaboration valuable and workable • Climate change impact and practicable adaptation • Geopolitical change and its impacts in the Pacific • Donor impact on a Pacific nation’s political, societal and economic decision-making • Disaster response and recovery, and its influence on sustainability and development • Economic cost analysis of NCDs on Pacific countries economy and the NZ health system • How can NZ contribute to enabling conditions for youth in the Pacific to thrive and contribute to the SED of the region? • What are the long-term impact of China and other new players’ increasing influence in the Pacific? • Identifying viable opportunities for deep sea mineral mining in the Pacific, and practical tools to mitigating potential risks • Identifying potential uses for ICT to advance human rights protection

The proposed research projects will then be jointly discussed by the NZIPR’s Research Advisory Group (RAG), with engagement from MFAT, and development and decisions will be undertaken in consultation with other members of the NZIPR as needed, MFAT and other key stakeholders.

A draft workplan will then be produced out of the RAG for the consideration of the NZIPR Board (consisting of representatives from UOO, UOA and AUT and an MFAT representative).