About Nursing Research Aotearoa | Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhio Aotearoa
Supporting the future of nursing, midwifery and caregiving
Established in 1968, Nursing Research Aotearoa | Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhio Aotearoa, formerly the Nursing Education and Research Foundation (NERF), is a charitable trust advancing nursing, midwifery, caregiving, research and healthcare across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Through scholarships, grants and research funding, we invest in people, knowledge and capability. We support nurses, midwives, caregivers, kaiāwhina, students and researchers to strengthen leadership, innovation and evidence-informed practice that benefits whānau, hapū, iwi and communities.
We support research that generates new knowledge, advances practice, informs policy and improves health and hauora outcomes.
Our work is strengthened by diverse knowledge systems, including mātauranga Māori and kaupapa Māori research methodologies. We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnership, participation and protection, working alongside Māori to support nursing leadership, research excellence, workforce development and hauora Māori.
Ngā Uara | Our Values
At the heart of Nursing Research Aotearoa | Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhio Aotearoa are values grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kaupapa Māori and the knowledge traditions of Aotearoa. We believe nursing, research, education and professional development are strengthened through partnership, equity, excellence and collective wellbeing.
We are guided by:
Manaakitanga
Caring for people through generosity, respect and support
Whanaungatanga
Building meaningful relationships and connections
Kaitiakitanga
Stewarding knowledge and resources for future generations
Rangatiratanga
Supporting leadership, aspiration and self-determination
Kotahitanga
Working together to improve health and hauora
Wairuatanga
Recognising the holistic dimensions of health and wellbeing
Pūkengatanga
Pursuing excellence, expertise and lifelong learning
Mātauranga
Valuing knowledge in all its forms, including indigenous knowledge
Tika me te pono
Acting with integrity, fairness and accountability
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and kaupapa Māori
Our work is guided by values that reflect our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kaupapa Māori and the knowledge traditions of Aotearoa. These values shape how we build partnerships, invest in people, support rangahau and mātauranga, and contribute to equitable hauora for whānau, hapū, iwi and communities.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi informs our governance, funding, partnerships and decision-making. Tikanga Māori and kaupapa Māori approaches guide how we work, and we are committed to honouring Te Tiriti through partnership, participation and protection.
We are committed to working in partnership with Māori to support the aspirations of Māori nurses, midwives, kaiāwhina, students and researchers, strengthening Māori leadership, rangatiratanga, workforce development and hauora outcomes. We recognise Māori as Te Tiriti partners and are committed to shared leadership, meaningful engagement and partnership in decision-making as our organisation continues to evolve.
We recognise mātauranga Māori as a valued knowledge system in its own right that enriches research and rangahau, learning and healthcare innovation. We value kaupapa Māori research methodologies and acknowledge that mātauranga Māori, pūrākau, whānau knowledge, lived experience and other indigenous ways of knowing all contribute to generating knowledge that improves hauora.
We are committed to building enduring relationships based on Te Tiriti partnership and ensuring our funding approaches continue to evolve through engagement with Māori, supporting Māori aspirations and improved hauora Māori outcomes.
This commitment is an ongoing journey of learning, partnership and continuous improvement.
Our History
Nursing Research Aotearoa | Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhi o Aotearoa has its roots in a strong tradition of supporting nursing education, research and professional development in New Zealand.
Our story began with a memorial fund established to honour the life and work of the late Flora J. Cameron, OBE, former Director of the Division of Nursing. From that fund grew a wider ambition: to create a more substantial and enduring source of support for nursing in Aotearoa.
The New Zealand Registered Nurses’ Association (Inc.) explored how this could be achieved, leading in 1968 to the establishment of the Nursing Education and Research Foundation (NERF) as a separate and autonomous charitable trust.
Since then, generations of individuals, families and groups have helped build the Foundation through donations and bequests. Their generosity has created a lasting legacy of investment in nursing and in the people who contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities across Aotearoa.
For more than five decades, we have provided scholarships and grants to nurses, midwives, caregivers, students, kaiāwhina and researchers. This support has enabled people to pursue postgraduate study, undertake research, develop specialist expertise and contribute new knowledge to nursing and healthcare.
Throughout our history, we have remained closely connected with the nursing profession and with Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO).
Today, as Nursing Research Aotearoa | Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhi o Aotearoa, we carry that legacy forward — building on more than half a century of support while strengthening our focus on research, knowledge and the future of nursing in Aotearoa.
Governance & Board Members
Nursing Research Aotearoa | Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhio Aotearoa is governed by an independent Board of Trustees responsible for overseeing our strategic direction, stewardship of funds and long-term sustainability.
The Board is committed to ensuring we operate with integrity, accountability and transparency, while honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnership, shared stewardship and meaningful Māori participation in governance.
| Board Positions | Board Members |
|---|---|
| NZNO Representatives | Kerri Nuku (Nursing Research Co-Chair), Anne Daniels (Nursing Research Co-Chair), Juliet Manning, Melinda Jordan. |
| Nursing Research Aotearoa Member | Marie Burgess. |
| Nursing Research Aotearoa Member, Lay Representative and Business Advisor | Aroha Hudson. |
| Nursing Research Aotearoa Patron | To be confirmed. |
Reports & key documents
Our annual reports and key organisational documents are available here.
