This page holds the funding programmes used by Ako Aotearoa, including the Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda (AARIA) programme established in 2022.

Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda (AARIA) | 2022 - 2025

The Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda (AARIA) funded innovative, ako-centered projects, working collaboratively with tertiary education organisations, researchers, and educators to develop new knowledge to inform improved ways of teaching and learning in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda aimed to catalyse systems-level change within the tertiary education sector, with the goal of advancing more equitable learner outcomes.

The AARIA programme invited proposals for research projects that explored potential solutions and enhanced support mechanisms for ākonga and kaiako, as well as teaching and learning strategies that contributed to the following objectives:

• Facilitate system-wide change across the tertiary education sector that enables a more responsive, flexible, and innovative system to meet the diverse needs of learners and communities. Proposals should contribute to transformational change that supports greater collaboration, adaptability, and alignment with the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) objectives, ensuring the system works for all New Zealanders.
• Ensure equitable outcomes for Māori, Pacific, neurodiverse, and disabled ākonga.
• Response to pressing global and local issues such as technological advances (eg: artificial intelligence); online learning; and the needs of learners from low socio-economic and low-income backgrounds.
• Improve systems and processes to support best practice tertiary education that focus on whole of organisational leadership and change to deliver the outcomes above, including organisational culture and design, the utilisation of data to support planning and action and review, and the connection between the organisation and its wider partners (such as iwi, industry and community).

2022 Funded projects | 2023 funded projects | 2024 funded projects

Commissioned projects | 2007 - 2019

These projects focused on strategic priority areas aimed at improving tertiary sector teaching and learning and creating system-wide change. From 2019-2022 these included co-funded projects into Adult and Community Education (ACE), improving outcomes for priority learner groups such as Māori and Pacific Peoples, and Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN).

National Project Fund | 2007 - 2019

A legacy fund for large-scale national projects that lasted up to three years in duration.

This Fund was replaced by the Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda (AARIA) programme.

Regional Hub Project Fund | 2007 - 2019

A legacy fund that provided up to $10,000 for small-scale, regional projects for applicants prepared to match the fund to the same value from their own resources.

This Fund was replaced by the Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda (AARIA) programme.

The importance of research and innovation across the tertiary education system

Each level of the tertiary education system wants the same outcomes for ākonga, but each level has different knowledge needs to achieve this. For example:

• Government is interested in knowing about: the extent to which the objectives of the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) are being met; the extent to which the RoVE changes are providing a coherent, seamless learning experience; and how to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori, Pacific, disabled, and neurodiverse ākonga.
• Organisations and educators are interested in knowing about: ways to build the capability of those delivering education and training (i.e. educators, advisors, employers); a pedagogy of equity; how to use an equity lens to know more about the conditions for learner success related to teaching and learning; assessment; support services; and data and technology.
• Ākonga want a range of factors that improve their learning experience and for their voices to be heard (Based on the Te Rito reports).

Sharing good practice

We freely share all resource outputs and information about the projects we fund in our Knowledge Centre. Including reports, tools, summaries, guides, videos, frameworks, presentations and more.