Our Pou/Supporting Architecture

Science Excellence and Impact

BioHeritage made an early commitment to co-design research with our Treaty and industry partners, endusers and communities, to maximise the impact and uptake of research outcomes. Co-design was challenging to execute and in this Pou we worked to document, publish and share the learnings gained from our approach to mission-led science. It is important to document and share the advantages, challenges and unintended consequences of our values-led approach, to allow the broader scientific community and funders of science to learn from our experiences.

Within the Science Excellence and Impact Pou, a research team was tasked with quantifying the effect of BioHeritage's approach on traditional science metrics, such as publications, and identify other (new) metrics that may better describe science excellence and impact. Te Aho Mātauranga, the Māori leadership rōpu, also worked to define and share measures of excellence and impact that are more meaningful and relevant to Māori researchers and communities.

Finally, we worked to collate and share the many diverse impacts our research had on biodiversity and society in Aotearoa.

Pou Lead:
Maureen O'Callaghan (AgResearch)

Te Aho Mātauranga

Māori have strong connections to Aotearoa New Zealand's environment, with valuable inter-generational views and belief systems that can underpin decision-making, governance and stewardship.

BioHeritage work had been led by Te Tiriti o Waitangi for some time, which placed us in a strong position to step up to a new level of commitment and respectful partnership at all levels of the Challenge. By forming Te Aho Mātauranga, our Māori leadership rōpu (group), we accelerated our work in this space aspiring to demonstrate leadership in the wider Aotearoa innovation system.

Pou Lead:
Erina Watene (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi Te Rangi; independent researcher)
Shaun Ogilvie (Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakahemo) and Ngāti Awa (Ngāti Pukeko); University of Canterbury)

Crazy & Ambitious Think Tank

The BioHeritage National Science Challenge was funded for 10 years, but reversing the decline of our biological heritage will take much, much longer than this. The goal of the Crazy & Ambitious Think Tank was to stimulate new ideas, approaches or syntheses needed to improve our biological heritage over the longer-term.

This ‘horizon’ work complements the shorter-term research conducted within our main programmes by re-envisioning a more informed national approach to research. It aimed to provide a comprehensive perspective that surpassed the fragmented efforts of the various national strategies and operational efforts.

Their activities also provided a way of integrating work streams on biodiversity and biosecurity, as well as the support needed by early career and Māori thinkers.

Pou Lead:
Aroha Mead (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tuhourangi, Ngāi Tūhoe; independent researcher)
Jason Tylianakis (University of Canterbury)