Memorial Scholarships

Māori Battalion! March to victory!
Māori Battalion! Staunch and true!
Māori Battalion! March to glory
Take the honour of the people with you ...

About the Scholarships

Six scholarships are available:

• Three Undergraduate Awards - $10,000.00 each per year of full time study, for up to five years
• One Masters Award - $15,000.00 per year of full time study, for up to two years
• One Doctoral Scholarship - $25,000.00 per year of full time study, for up to two years
• One Manakura Scholarship - $30,000.00 for one year.

Recipients will be selected in 2011 and Scholarships will be awarded and paid in accordance with milestone periods throughout the 2012 year. Scholarship payments will be pro-rated where recipients complete less than a year of full time enrolled study.

The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board are looking for applicants who meet the criteria and possess characteristics that are considered consistent with those of the 28th Māori Battalion.

Background

In 1939, when New Zealand joined forces with the allies, Māori men and women volunteered and made a significant contribution in all areas of the defence forces and home services. Notable among them were the recruits who formed the 28th (Māori) Battalion. They fought with distinction in many engagements and perhaps the soldier whose deeds are best known among Māori is Lieutenant Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu, whose heroism and ultimate sacrifice were acknowledged by the highest military award the British Commonwealth could bestow: the Victoria Cross.

In June 1943, soon after Ngārimu had been killed in action, a gathering of Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui and Pākehā East Coast people took place to consider how to best commemorate the bravery of Ngārimu, and the other members of the 28th Battalion, whose lives had been lost in World War Two. It was decided to establish a scholarship fund to support Māori education. The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Scholarship Fund Board was established for the purposes of administering funds that promoted Māori education.

Originally the Board considered the most urgent priority was to encourage Māori pupils at secondary school level and scholarships were awarded annually to pupils in Form II. However since 1971 the Board's focus has been at the tertiary level with academic merit being a high priority in the selection.

Ake ake kia kaha e!

Scholarship criteria

All applicants must be:

• New Zealand Māori
• studying at a registered New Zealand tertiary institution or at an overseas tertiary institution that meets its own country's accreditation requirements. This is not necessary for Manakura scholarship applicants only
• able to show characteristics of the ideal applicant as detailed in the application form
• able to describe their contribution to whānau, hapū or iwi following successful completion of their study, and
• agree to present milestone reports to the Ngārimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion Board.

Additionally, Masters, Doctoral and Manakura applicants must:

• be able to show the link between Māori and the outcome or benefit of their study or work. The applicant needs to share their passion for their chosen area of study with the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Board
• submit a brief about their study or field. This brief will be assessed against the criteria listed under Characteristics of the ideal applicant (see below), and
• describe their contribution to whānau, hapū or iwi following successful completion of their study.

All the relevant sections of the application form must be completed and received by our office no later than 26 August 2011. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

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Characteristics of the ideal applicant

Applicants can show characteristics similar to those considered consistent with the 28th Māori Battalion:

• Te āo Māori me te āo Pākehā (an ability to walk in both Māori and non Māori worlds)
• Kawa ngā tikanga me te reo
• Rangatiratanga
• Whānaungatanga
• Manaakitanga
• Whakaritenga
• Te Wero
• Mātauranga (does not apply to Manakura applicants), and
• Pou Amorangi (for Manakura applicants only).

Selection process

You must use the current 2011/2012 application form with section 4(1) provided on a separate sheet(s) using clear headings. The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board will shortlist all applicants. Shortlisted applicants for the Masters, Doctoral and Manakura Scholarships will be invited to an interview.

Selection timeline

Applications must be submitted by no later than 26 August 2011 to:

Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund
Group Māori
Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Wellington 6140
Phone 04 463 8957
Email ngarimu.scholarship@minedu.govt.nz

All applications will be acknowledged by 16 September 2011 and short-listed applicants for the Masters, Doctoral and Manakura scholarships will be invited to an interview to be held on 20 - 21 October 2011. All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by 30 November 2011.

The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.