Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship
Applications closed on 9 September 2024. The next application round for this scholarship opens August 2025.
Pool of funding available: $80,000 (the pool may be awarded to one scholar or split between two)
The Borrin Foundation wishes to contribute to increasing Māori postgraduate scholarship in law.
We invite proposals from Māori law graduates who wish to obtain a postgraduate degree in law overseas or domestically.
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence will provide support and manaakitanga to the successful candidate including via Te Kupenga o MAI (The Māori and Indigenous scholar network).
Eligibility
- Māori LLB graduate from a New Zealand institution who wishes to advance their law studies.
- Strong academic record.
- Connection to Te Ao Māori.
- Future potential for Māori leadership in legal development and the legal profession.
How it would work
The aim of the scholarship is to support a Māori scholar to pursue a post-graduate degree in law at a New Zealand university or at an overseas institution (any jurisdiction) including multi-year degree programmes.
Funding can be used for costs such as course fees, living expenses, and economy class airfares.
Application dates
Applications open once a year in August. The dates for the next application round are:
Applications open: August 2025
Applications close: September 2025
How to apply
To apply you need to prepare all your paperwork first, then submit this information through our online application. The proposal template and application form are available when we are accepting applications.
- Complete the Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship proposal template including your proposal and personal statement. This document should be no more than 7 pages with max 5 pages for your proposal and max 2 pages for your personal statement. If you are applying for an LLM by coursework only, where the proposal template asks about your planned research, explain your plan for your degree and what your focus of study will be.
- Prepare your CV or resume (max 3 pages).
- Ensure you have a copy of your academic transcripts.
- Ask two people for permission for the Borrin Foundation to contact them directly to provide a written reference – you can use our template to request written references (The Borrin Foundation will contact referees and provide a link to an online reference form after the application deadline has closed).
- Once all your paperwork is ready, complete our online application and upload your proposal, CV and academic transcripts as PDF files.
If you have any questions contact Oli at admin@borrinfoundation.nz.
Recipients of the Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Rhianna Morar
Rhianna is pursing a LLM in the United Kingdom. Her study is focused on administrative and constitutional law, alongside independent research exploring the right to equality of litigation against the Crown. About Rhianna Ngāti Porou (Te Whānau a Ruataupare), Tapuika...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Nerys Udy
Nerys is pursing a LLM in the United States. Her study is focused on how existing legal theory may provide insight into the confluence of indigenous and settler laws in Aotearoa. About Nerys Tāku pane ki uta, āku waewae ki tae, tāku kaika ki Otawiri e tau nei. Tēnei...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Jacobi Kohu-Morris
Jacobi is pursing a LLM in the United Kingdom. His study is focused on jurisprudence, legal history, constitutional theory and advanced private law. About Jacobi Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi Jacobi is a junior barrister at Shortland Chambers in Auckland...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Pita Roycroft
Pita is pursuing a LLM in the USA. He hopes to investigate whether and to what extent principles of indigenous or customary law (such as tikanga Māori) can influence the development of tort law in Aotearoa New Zealand and other Western states with indigenous...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Amelia Kendall
Amelia is pursing a LLM in the USA. Amelia will study international constitutional arrangements, the impact and effectiveness of domestic and international human rights instruments, treaties and declarations on indigenous rights around the world.About Amelia Karanga...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Yasmin Olsen
Yasmin is pursuing a LLM at Yale University in Connecticut, USA. Yasmin hopes to play a part in criminal justice reform to develop a system that better serves wāhine Māori, as both victims and defendants.About Yasmin Ngāpuhi (Te Ihutai), Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whātua,...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Rachael Evans
Rachael is pursuing PhD in Law at the University of Canterbury. Rachael’s PhD will investigate how iwi can fully exercise their rangatiratanga outside of a reliance on Crown funds, through fiscal and regulatory authority. About Rachael Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Pamoana,...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Holly Reynolds
Holly is pursuing a LLM in the USA. Holly is working towards a career in academia where she hopes to contribute towards transformative change that dismantles carceral states and promotes Indigenous autonomy and self-determination. About Holly Te Āti...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Maryann Panoho
Maryann is pursuing a Masters of Indigenous Law and Policy at the University of Arizona, USA. Maryann wants to work towards ensuring Aotearoa is a safe place for all and that the law reflects that vision by taking a transformative approach to justice and change.About...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Gabriella Makerita Hinetu Brayne
Gabriella is pursuing a Masters of Indigenous Law and Policy at the University of Arizona, USA. Gabriella hopes to return to Aotearoa to work in community law, supporting whānau to navigate the systems of welfare and injustice.About Gabriella Ngāti Maniapoto, Falefā...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Zachary Katene
Zachary Katene is one of the inaugural Borrin Foundation - Ngā Pae o te Māramantanga Postgraudate scholarship recipients. Zachary is pursuing a Master of Laws in Corporate Governance & Practice at Stanford Law School in California, USA. About Zachary Ngāti...
Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Ben Morgan
Ben Morgan is one of the inaugural Borrin Foundation - Ngā Pae o te Māramantanga Postgraudate scholarship recipients. Ben is pursuing an LLM in the USA with a focus on the intersection between criminal law and policy, technology, and indigenous law.About Ben Ben...