$3000 scholarships for tertiary education, research, projects

Four new $3000 scholarships are being offered to support students studying or training in areas aligned to work the Northland Regional Council does in the environmental, economic or community resilience fields.

Council chair Penny Smart says nominations for the council’s inaugural ‘Tū i te ora Scholarship’ opened Saturday, 14 December and will run until Friday, 14 February 2020.

Worth $3000 each, the previous council had made the decision to provide scholarships during a review of its Long Term Plan.

The scholarships will recognise and support students whose efforts reflect the regional council’s key drivers and its mission of ‘working together to create a healthy environment, strong economy and resilient communities’.

They also aim to build Māori capacity within Te Taitokerau and provide opportunities for further education, with two earmarked for Māori who whakapapa (share a genealogical connection) to Te Taitokerau.

Councillors say community outcomes the council is trying to achieve include;

• Continuous improvement in water quality and security of supply
• Enhancement of indigenous biodiversity and biosecurity
• A strong regional economy
• Safe and resilient communities
• Enduring relationships with tangata whenua
• Efficient and effective land transport policies

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

“They will also hopefully provide a springboard for future environmental leaders and champions in Northland and encourage people into careers related to council activities.”

Councillors say the awards can also help provide financial support to students experiencing financial hardship and difficulties.

Among the criteria for would-be applicants are that they are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who live in Northland (or have family that does) or who have whakapapa to Te Taitokerau and Northland Regional Council’s operational boundaries.

They must also be enrolled (or have an intention to enrol) in a recognised tertiary course of study that directly relates to activities that council delivers and be studying at an undergraduate or higher qualification level.

Full eligibility criteria and application forms are available from www.nrc.govt.nz/scholarship but all applications/supporting documentation need to be with council by Friday 14 February 2020.

Once the nomination period closes in mid-February, a selection panel from the council’s Community Engagement, Environmental Services and Māori Engagement teams will review them.

(Short-listed applicants may be required to attend an interview at Northland Regional Council’s Whangarei office.)