Nominations open for $3k NRC scholarships

01 Dec, 2021

Eight $3000 scholarships are being offered to provide a springboard for future environmental leaders and champions.

Northland Regional Council (NRC) chair Penny Smart says nominations for the council’s Tu i te ora Scholarship will run until Wednesday March 02, 2022.

Worth $3000 each, the annual scholarships recognise, encourage and support students to undertake study, research or training that relates to council’s environmental and regulatory functions, whilst contributing to council’s vision: ‘Our Northland – together we thrive’.

Council’s environmental and regulatory functions include:

· Environmental science and data analysis

· Flood and natural hazard engineering and management

· Biosecurity

· Water management

· Climate change

· Environmental planning and policy

· Geographic information system (GIS)

· Land management.

The scholarships have a specific aim to build Maori capacity within Te Taitokerau, with four of the eight scholarships earmarked for Maori who whakapapa to Te Taitokerau.

Chair Smart says of the remaining four scholarships offered this year, another will also be set aside for a student undertaking study, research or training related to council’s land or water functions.

“The benefits of the scholarships themselves are quite broad and include raising students’ environmental awareness and understanding, encouraging Matauranga Maori research and education, as well as promoting leadership and innovation.”

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who live in Northland (or have family that does) or whakapapa to Te Taitokerau.

They must also be enrolled (or have an intention to enrol) in a recognised tertiary course of study that relates to council’s environmental and regulatory functions and be studying at an undergraduate or higher qualification level.

Once the application period closes in early-March 2022, a selection panel from the council’s Community Engagement, Environmental Services and Maori Engagement teams will review them.

n Full eligibility criteria and application form are available from scholarships.nrc.govt.nz. All applications and supporting documentation must be submitted online by Wednesday March 02, 2022.