Research Themes funding announced

The depth of research excellence at the University of Otago is set to be further enhanced thanks to the latest round of Research Themes funding.

Following a contestable process, the University’s Research Committee this week awarded 14 Research Themes a total of $1.4 million over four years from 2025-2028.

A Research Theme is an interdisciplinary grouping of academics researching areas of key strategic importance for the University, the country and the world.

Professor Richard Blaikie

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Richard Blaikie says this interdisciplinary approach helps to build research capacity by focusing efforts and resources.

“By nature, the Themes encourage a collaborative approach. This collaboration spans not only disciplines, but in most cases even departments and divisions.

“All four of Otago’s academic divisions and all three main campuses are represented across the successful Themes, which include health, sustainability, energy, and indigenous economy and enterprise.”

Richard says that as well demonstrating clear alignment with the University’s strategic goals and priorities, the Themes all have demonstrable and impactful outcomes whether that be scholarly, economic, social, technological, commercial and/or policy.

Of the 14 Themes selected for the 2025-28 funding round, four are new or have grown out of existing research networks – Health Protection Aotearoa Research Centre; Te Maea Māori and Indigenous Economy and Enterprise; Research Alliance for Rare Illness Translational Pathways; and Research at the Interface of Diverse Knowledge Systems.

The remaining 10 Themes are a continuation of areas that have established track records of collaboration as Centres or Themes.

Each successful Research Theme will receive $25,000 per year during the next four years. In many cases, this internal funding will also help to leverage external funding opportunities.

“We will continue to work to identify further ways we can bring together researchers to address significant global opportunities and challenges in an inter-disciplinary way,” Richard says.

Research Theme recipients (2025-28 funding round)

Health Protection Aotearoa Research Centre (HPARC)

Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Simon Hales, Associate Professor Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Julie Bennett (all Department of Public Health)

HPARC has an overall goal to improve health, equity and environmental sustainability in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. It will achieve this through generating and communicating robust, timely and useful evidence that supports policies and practices which improve health determinants and health security with a particular focus on prevention and control of infectious diseases and environmental hazards. Specific goals are to: produce impactful research to protect and improve health, equity and environmental sustainability; support Māori health equity and research capacity development; communicate and engage effectively to support research translation.

Te Maea Māori and Indigenous Economy and Enterprise

Associate Professor Katharina Ruckstuhl (Otago Business School Divisional Office); Associate Professor Diane Ruwhiu (Management)

Te Maea aims to advance collaborative and interdisciplinary research to build and sustain thriving economies and innovative organisations. Building on its network’s activities, it continues to focus research and researcher development on: traditional and contemporary Māori and indigenous forms of economy, governance and organisation along with their embedded values, practices and relationships – human and more than human; building competency in appropriate research practices – staff, students and community stakeholders – to develop innovative solutions for indigenous futures.

Research Alliance for Rare Illness Translational Pathways (RARITY)

Professor Stephanie Hughes (Biochemistry); Professor Louise Parr-Brownlie (Anatomy)

RARITY unites a team of biologists, translational researchers, clinicians, community advocates and government policy advisors, in understanding and translating research to real-life clinical and community impact. Its goals are to build an Otago-based network, aligned with the national Rare Disease New Zealand-led framework, partnering with tangata whenua, support groups and government organisations. It will strengthen knowledge in rare diseases and enhance student and EMCR capabilities with opportunities to engage nationally and internationally. In four years’ time, RARITY will have developed a collaborative pathway to clinical and social impact in Aotearoa for rare diseases.

Research at the Interface of Diverse Knowledge Systems

Dr Francesca Marzatico (Surveying)

The overarching goal of this Theme is to become a nationally and internationally recognised leading interdisciplinary Centre for Research at the Interface of Diverse Knowledge Systems. Specific goals include: establishing an international network of interdisciplinary research at the interface of diverse knowledge systems by strengthening, extending and formalising existing relationships in this field; promote the sharing of experience and insights in research that operates at the intersection of indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge, creating spaces for articulating learnings from collaborative partnerships across knowledge systems; enhancing capability and cultural safety while fostering critical reflexivity among researchers working within Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka; amplifying the impact of research that bridges diverse knowledge systems, supporting development of evidence-based policies.

Genetics Otago

Associate Professor Louise Bicknell (Biochemistry); Associate Professor Logan Walker (Pathology and Biomedical Science)

Genetics Otago is more than 400 scientists with expertise in fundamental science through to new technologies and policy, involving communities and stakeholders. Its goals are: building innovative researchers for impactful genetic research to meet the needs of New Zealand and beyond; advancing Rangahau Māori by providing a platform for community engagement and facilitating equitable Māori participation, embedding of Te ao and mātauranga Māori, and flourishing of essential partnerships; and growing Otago’s international visibility and reputation.

Otago Global Health Institute

Professor Patrick Vakaoti (Te Tumu); Professor Philip Hill (McAuley Professor of International Health, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine)

This Theme aims to: facilitate and coordinate Otago’s strengths in collaborative global health research and training; work with research partners to propose, secure funding for, and conduct inter-disciplinary research that provide solutions to global health problems; build capacity with research collaborators (especially Pacific researchers), host PhD students, develop a cross-divisional Masters in Global health programme drawing on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te ao Māori and tikanga; expand newly established Pacific collaborations with external funding and develop new initiatives in indigenous global health and planetary health.

Heart Otago

Professor Pete Jones (Physiology); Dr Kate Thomas (Surgical Sciences)

This Theme aims to align the complementary array of capabilities housed within Otago’s separate cardiovascular research groups to ignite synergies and develop a cardiovascular disease advisory group in partnership with local communities. The advisory group – comprised of HeartOtago, Christchurch Heart Institute and UoO Wellington – will foster strategic alignment whilst maintaining individual group identity at a governance and operational level. This inter-disciplinary, inter-campus approach is critical as cardiovascular disease impacts all of society. To achieve this goal, the Theme will undertake a range of activities designed to increase alignment, collaboration and resource sharing across groups and campuses.

Performance of the Real

Associate Professor Suzanne Little (Performing Arts)

This Theme examines issues and events through the lens of performance and performativity. Following McKenzie and Butler, ‘performance’ here is not about entertainment, but understood as the means through which the ‘reality’ of the world is constructed. The contemporary world is constructed in practices and discourses, for example, media editing of war and disaster footage, political speeches espousing ‘truths’ appealing to voter values, online communities repackaging science. The Theme examines and critiques such constructions. Beyond academic publications, its current aim is to work in public-facing and applied ways, collaborating with stakeholder communities in the creation of interactive forums, policy documents and resources.

Otago Lifecourse Research Theme

Associate Professor James Foulds (Psychological Medicine); Professor Reremoana Theodore (Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit)

This Theme brings together Otago’s two internationally acclaimed birth cohort studies, the Christchurch Health and Development Study and the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, alongside other New Zealand longitudinal studies. This will place the University of Otago on the world stage as a centre of excellence in life course research. The Theme will promote health equity research, particularly for Māori. International visibility for the theme will help set up new collaborative relationships within and outside New Zealand, increasing the chance of attracting grants from funding bodies including major overseas funders.

Collaboration of Ageing Research Excellence (CARE)

Dr Paula O’Kane (Management); Dr Lara Vlietstra (School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences)

CARE’s mission is to foster interdisciplinary collaborations, encourage research partnerships within the University and with collaborators, and promote innovative, creative and translational gerontological research to improv ethe lives of older and ageing people in Aotearoa. Its goals include: fostering interdisciplinary relationships, initiating interdisciplinary research grants, stimulating translatable and accessible research to improve social justice in ageing; building capacity for ageing research by providing opportunities and mentoring students, ECRs and professionals in gerontology research and clinical practice; signalling, incubating and enhancing knowledge and research by creating impact, influencing policy and working with stakeholders and the ageing population.

ASPIRE Aotearoa: Achieving a nicotine free future

Professor Janet Hoek (Public Health); Professor Richard Edwards (Public Health); Associate Professor Anaru Waa (Public Health)

ASPIRE Aotearoa aims to provide national and global leadership in tobacco control policy by providing evidence that informs the development and implementation of measures to reduce smoking prevalence rapidly and equitably, and assess the impact those measures have in general and on priority population groups. It will also identify and test measures to prevent nicotine and tobacco product use among people who do not smoke. It aims to develop and support Te Tumu Māori and Māori-led and focused research; expand its community and collaborative links; and extend the interdisciplinary research it undertakes.

Otago Energy Research Centre

Dr Sean Connelly (Geography); Associate Professor Michael Jack (Physics)

The Otago Energy Research Centre aims to: incubate large new interdisciplinary energy research projects for a more resilient and low-carbon future; raise the profile of Otago’s energy research at the national and international level and build capacity of Māori and Pacific students in energy research; create a ‘University of Otago Energy Open Data Portal’ to promote the open exchange of critical energy data between research organisations, industry and the wider community; expand the ‘University of Otago Energy Living Lab’ initiative (which aims to implement sustainable energy research findings) to strengthen regional engagement with Murihiku Regeneration, local iwi, and local and regional government.

Centre for Global Migrations

Professor Angela McCarthy (History); Professor Vivienne Anderson (Education); Professor Henry Johnson (Performing Arts)

The Centre for Global Migrations’ interdisciplinary research seeks to contribute new knowledge and raise awareness and understanding of the challenges and opportunities of historical and contemporary human migrations locally, nationally and globally. It will address significant challenges around: nationhood, borders and bordering; health and climate; and culture, heritage and belonging. Where possible, the Theme will incorporate Te ao Māori and Pacific perspectives to develop new methods of conceptualising, presenting and disseminating its research. These will be based in ongoing partnership with former refugees, recent migrants, ethnic community members, NGOs, government agencies and heritage agencies to support their needs through co-designing transformative research programmes that deliver impact.

Bioengineering and Translational Health Technologies

Professor Tim Woodfield (Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine)

This Theme drives bioengineering and translation health technologies innovation across all three Otago campuses, addressing global health issues by bringing together multidisciplinary students and early/mid-career researchers. It enhances the University’s reputation and revenue by integrating advanced technology and clinical partnerships, translating research into clinical solutions and commercial startups. It focuses on innovative, sustainable and environmentally sensitive HealthTech, employing digital health, diagnostics and biomanufacturing to reduce waste and carbon footprint. Its research partnerships with Māori co-develop culturally distinctive health technologies, improving health outcomes in New Zealand. It leads Pacific engagement in medical technologies, aligning with the Pacific Strategic Framework.