Call for Applications: Whiria Te Mahara New Zealand History Grants

Funding Information

• Every year the fund gives away between 8 and 12 grants of up to $12,000 each to fund research and writing costs. They usually receive around 60 to 80 applications.

Eligible Expenses

• The funding can be used for any expenses related to the researching and writing process, such as:
  • travel costs (national or international) to visit archives and libraries
  • paying yourself a wage to undertake research or writing
  • equipment costs such as computers
  • research costs such as photocopying or buying photographs
  • a limited amount of oral history as part of the research for the project.

Ineligible Expenses

• The grants do not cover the following:
  • costs relating to the publication or production of the work, for example book editing, design or printing, publicity costs or website production
  • work that has already been completed — the research and/or writing work on your project must be ongoing after the application closing date
  • collecting or arranging archival material or preparing databases
  • fiction, art or drama projects.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any individual or group can apply. They are particularly keen to receive applications for projects dealing with Māori topics.
• Traditionally, they have supported projects that produce print publications, such as books. They prefer funding book projects with a wide target readership, rather than academic journal articles.
• They also consider digital formats such as web stories and online exhibitions, so long as the funding is only for the historical research and writing component, not the design and development costs.
• If your topic is regional, or about your family, you are welcome to apply, but they need to know how the project would enhance understanding of New Zealand’s history.

Ineligibility Criteria

• You are not eligible to apply if you are:
  • a tertiary student or staff member completing a project as part of your university work (unless you are undertaking a private project in your own time)
  • an employee of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
  • a previous recipient who has not yet completed a project funded by the Trust.

For more information, visit Ministry for Culture and Heritage.