TLRI Strategic Priorities 2024-2027

The TLRI Advisory Board provides strategic leadership to the TLRI, and in conversation with the NZCER’s co-ordination team, identifies strategic priorities for the TLRI.

Strategic priority 1: Give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The TLRI Advsiory Board and the NZCER team decided that greater clarity is needed about the ways in which the TLRI understands and gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This priority will build on work that the TLRI has undertaken in recent years, specifically the introduction of Whatua Tū Aka – the TLRI’s kaupapa Māori funding pathway.

The scope of this new priority will include ensuring that the TLRI gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through its policy documents, advisory and management structures and processes, researcher-practitioner partnerships, funding and selection panel processes, and the publication of completed projects.  

The focus of 2024 is to lay the foundations by developing a purpose statement, and revising the Advisory Board protocols accordingly. This will be followed by a review of the guidelines, practices and processes in subsequent years.

Strategic priority 2: Embed the Whatua Tū Aka pathway

The TLRI’s Whatua Tū Aka pathway seeks to improve equity for Māori learners by supporting kaupapa Māori educational research and building kaupapa Māori research capability. It was established in 2020.

The NZCER TLRI team will continue to identify and employ new approaches for promoting the Whatua Tū Aka funding pathway, including the benefits of applying at the Expression of Interest stage. Once the website is complete, promotion of successfully completed Whatua Tū Aka projects will increase. We will also monitor and analyse trends on Māori-focused projects in all pathways.

Strategic priority 3: Support and strengthen pathways for Pacific research projects in the TLRI

Within the TLRI, Pacific research projects are those that utilise Pacific research methodologies, engage reciprocally with Pacific tamariki/rangatahi and communities, and privilege Pacific worldviews, languages, cultures and knowledge systems. The Advsiory Board has expressed their intention to work towards creating a Pacific-specific pathway, contingent on available funding.

The focus for 2024-2027 is on embedding the use of the Pacific criteria in the Open Pathway and raising the visibility of successfully completed projects. The plan is to strengthen relationships with Pacific networks, promote the Pacific criteria in the funding pathway, and maintain Pacific representation TLRI groups.

Strategic priority 4: Strengthen the reach and impact of the TLRI

The specific goal is to develop a new website, including a refreshed design and ensuring all content is migrated. The website will be fit-for-purpose, user-friendly, accessible and the content will be more discoverable. It will showcase Māori, Pacific and Open pathway research projects, and will explore new formats for website content (e.g. digital artefacts and videos)

The next steps through to 2027 will be to increase promotion of the website and research, and more actively engage with practitioner communities.