<[link removed]>Hi Friend,

Last year, the Taxpayers' Union called attention to the Health Research Council and Marsden Funds using taxpayer money for science research that, well, wasn't scientific at all.

There was the $369,000 study into roadside "Big Things, Complex Shadows: investigating intersecting stories of place, identity, and erasure through large roadside sculptures in Aotearoa" (a study of, literally, the Ohakune giant carrot), or the $861,000 astrology project, sorry, "study" into "celestial objects and death". And who could forget the $360,000 cutting edge study into "pacific gamer girls"...

The Minister for Health at the time, Dr Shane Reti, gave us cause for celebration when he issued new Ministerial guidelines last year applicable to the Research Council's grant-making. The Government said that it would mean future grants would "better align" with the priorities of the Government and the health system.

In Dr Reit's words:

“What that means is a sharper focus on real-world projects leading to improved health and/or health system outcomes, such as improving timely access to quality healthcare for New Zealanders."

So, our Research Team in Wellington were looking forward to checking out the first of the four 2025 rounds of "science" funding.

The War on Waste: Science Edition 🔬

I'm sorry to report, Friend, Dr Shane Reti's guidelines have been totally ignored. The grants highlighted in this email were under the current government. Christopher Hipkins and Ayesha Verrall can't be blamed for these doozies.

I'm emailing to ask for your support so we can campaign to force the new Health Minister, Simeon Brown, to gut the grant panels at the Health Research Council who, as you will see, are taking the proverbial. <[link removed]>

Just like we forced with the Marsden Fund, nothing short of a clear out is now needed. We need to narrow the scope of these out-of-control scientists academics.

Judge for yourself: the 2025 grants so far... 🙄

To recap: the Health Research Council describes itself as "the home of health research in New Zealand" and claims they are "here to improve the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders through our process of identifying and supporting high-quality, high-value research that delivers far-reaching impact within the health and science landscape."

First up, water. We all know it's essential to life and to health. But, oh no, at the Health Research Council, it's the "narrativesabout the water" that gets the funding... 🤦

Ko ngā pūrākau o ngā wai e rere nei: Narratives about the water 

Recipient Dr Sharyn Heaton

"This project is about the multiple perspectives and understandings of wai and au for whānau wellbeing. Multiple domains of health and well-being will be interrogated with reference to Māori health and wellbeing conceptual models."

Approved funding: $9,980

Not a huge amount, but still not too bad for an afternoon of dreamtime, sorry "conceptual modelling".

Now, Friend, over the years we've seen plenty of examples of research grants being just an excuse for a tropical holiday (remember the elaborate excuse taxpayer funding to analyse novels, short stories, creative nonfiction, and poems from the literary hotspots of: Guam, Hawai‘i, Sāmoa, West Papua, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji?) well we have yet another!

How would you like three years' worth of trips to the Cook Islands to (checks notes) write a report about "reconceptualising" sports participation by local kids? $127,000 for flights and accommodation in the Cook Islands.

Reconceptualising physical literacy for Cook Islands Māori 

Recipients Ms Katrina Sharlott, Dr Lara Vlietstra, Dr Troy Ruhe, Professor Chris Button

"Physical literacy is a rising concept in health promotion, offering a nuanced and holistic approach to incorporating physical activity across the lifespan. Despite its potential, the discourse on physical literacy has notably overlooked the inclusion of Pacific voices and Indigenous perspectives to date. Cultural relevancy is critical to the success of health promotion strategies, as beliefs, values, and cultural background significantly influence a population's reception of health messages."

Approved funding: $127,000

Why stop at three years when you can do six years of trips to the Cooks? 🏝️

Now if any doubt remains that nothing at the Health Research Council has changed, back in 2018, the very same Dr Troy Ruhe was given $133,550.00 to head to the Cook Islands to write his PHD on – you guessed it – physical activity by the locals!

Yes, really. This is truly life-saving stuff, and is a theme of the Health Research Council's work international travel.

The effectiveness of circuit-based exercise in Cook Islands communities 

Recipients Dr Troy Ruhe

"The proposed research is a physical activity intervention that will take place in Cook Island communities of both New Zealand and within the Cook Islands. The development of a physical activity programme which comprises movements of traditional Cook Islands daily activities of food gathering and preparation has been piloted to test the feasibility and acceptability of such imagery. The main aim of the study is to determine effective strategies to increase physical activity adherence within Cook Islands communities. This aim will be achieved through developing a validated strength-based model for Cook Islands health through the medium of physical activity incorporating Cook Islands values, belief systems and principles within a Cook Islands framework."

Approved funding: $133,550


You have to take your hat off to Dr Ruhe. According to his Otago University bio, he is "a physical activity specialist in the Pacific region" and "Passionate about bringing indigenous ways of knowing into mainstream research"

"Indigenous ways of knowing into mainstream research". That's just how we got to whale song for Kauri trees, and now apparently business class trips to the Cooks too. Nice for some! 👍

Now to another important area of research: the leadership potential of Māori veterans. Obviously we know the military to civilian transition is difficult to navigate, but is this reeeeally a health research project?

According to the boffins at the Health Research Council, it sure is. Under the "Health Issue" research classification of "Wellbeing (autonomy self-determination)" they've shoehorned interviews, sorry, "narrative inquiry" of vets into health sciences.

He Pito Mata - realising leadership potential of rangatahi Māori veterans

Recipients Dr Tepora Emery, Mr Jamie Emery

"He Pito Mata is a rangahau hauora training course within the He Toa Taumata Rau research project. Using narrative inquiry, the He Toa researchers are learning about the complexities of military to civilian transition and analysing the stories of a diverse group of Māori veterans who have reported many struggles and stresses throughout the transition journey."

Approved funding: $12,000

Mixing traditional Rongoā with traditional... Acid?! 😵‍💫

Now no one could doubt that drug addiction is a real health issue. So, the good people at the Health Research Council have awarded quarter of a million dollars to mix Rongoā (that is, traditional Māori massage and prayer) with acid psychedelic drugs. Nothing will support someone with drug addiction than giving traditional spiritual indigenous healers treatment options of psychedelics, right? In any case, this got $265,000:

Marae-Based Rongoā and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Methamphetamine Use

 Recipients Ms Anna-Leigh Hodge, Associate Professor Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Dr Anna Rolleston, Dr Anna Forsyth, Dr Tehseen Noorani





"This study explores the potential of combining traditional Māori healing (Rongoā) with psychedelic-assisted therapy to support individuals recovering from methamphetamine addiction. The research will assess the effectiveness of this culturally grounded approach in improving mental health and substance abuse outcomes."

Approved funding: $265,000

No one will disagree that taxpayer funded psychedelics on the marae is innovative.

Hutia te rito: Māori men, birthing and whānau ora

Women's, sorry, "Pregnant people's" health in New Zealand is apparently nailed. Health Research is all about the Dads, apparently. $411,819.00 for this:

Hutia te rito: Māori men, birthing and whānau ora

Recipient Dr. Kenneth Taiapa

"On one hand tāne learn that they have little or no role as men within hapūtanga and birthing and, on the other, they learn they are absent and irresponsible parents. This project will provide practical knowledge about the roles that tāne had and can have. By gathering experiences and stories from tāne Māori, speaking to experts in hapūtanga and the roles of tāne and working in collaborative ways with multiple stakeholders, the project team will identify actions and work to implement change. Because hapūtanga is a critical time, positive experiences and connections can strengthen whānau beyond pregnancy and birth."

Approved funding: $411,819

Call the Taxpayers' Union out for nitpicking, but "speaking to experts" and finding "collaborative ways with multiple stakeholders" to "identify actions" ... to implement change" is a social science, not health research.

Measuring the health at the University of Otago: of te reo... 

This is another of the "Wellbeing (autonomy self-determination)" grants. Again, how do you possibly claim this is "science" let alone (to use the Minister's words) "a sharper focus on real-world projects leading to improved health and/or health system outcomes, such as improving timely access to quality healthcare for New Zealanders"

He oranga reo he oranga tangata: te reo Māori use at the University of Otago

Recipient Mr Flynn Macredie, Dr Julia Wilson

"Māori culture and Māori language are inseparable, with the language itself being generated from and in turn influencing the experiences of the peoples that speak it. 'Manaakitia te Reo' is a project at the University of Otago (UoO) which explores how assessment in te reo Māori not in language learning contexts can be better supported by the university. Māori and non-Māori UoO staff from a variety of departments and backgrounds were interviewed. These are highly motivated individuals working in a colonial system who, in pursuing te reo Māori, are attempting to reinvent themselves by reclaiming culture and language while also reinventing the contexts in which they work. During interviews participants commented on wider experiences of learning and using te reo Māori in their respective contexts. In this summer studentship, the connection between te reo Māori and health will be explored using interview data obtained from ‘Manaakitia te Reo’."

Approved funding: $7,500

For context, Manaakitia te Reo means "Tauira perceptions towards maintaining te reo use in higher education" and has received undisclosed Whatua Tū Aka Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (taxpayer) funding separately.

Friend,  if we don’t shine a light on this kind of wasteful spending, who will?

Whenever the Taxpayers' Union expose wasteful science spending, we get hated on in the media and online. But we make no apology for fighting for value for money, even when it's not PC to do so.

Of course, we worry that so much of what we uncover has an indigenous or Māori element. But that's not because we are being selective. In order to get funding, scientists who email us say that every project has to have an indigenous element.

But our opponents will still use labels of 'racism' to attack us, and we rely on your support to fight back. <[link removed]>

For every dollar wasted on this "research", there is one less for actual health science that could save lives.

Only the Taxpayers' Union is exposing this stuff, but we rely on your support to keep at it, demand accountability, and put pressure on the Government to stop these rorts and start funding real science.

If you think funding projects like "narratives about water" while hospitals are at breaking point needs to be exposed, please chip in and support the Taxpayers' Union today with a confidential donation. <[link removed]>

<[link removed]>

Thank you for your support.


Jordan Williams
Executive Director
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Inc. · 117 Lambton Quay, Level 4, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
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