Ember Innovations Research Grants 2025
Call for Applications Open Now
Ember Innovations proudly presents two distinct research grant opportunities for University of Auckland research projects that align with our commitment to innovation, mental health, and honouring lived experiences.
These two opportunities reflect our dedication to supporting a broad spectrum of research that contributes to understanding mental health and wellbeing, fostering innovation, and leveraging personal experiences to create meaningful impact. We invite researchers who share our vision to apply.
Wellbeing Innovation Research Grant
Mental health, addiction, and holistic wellbeing category
Ember Innovations warmly welcomes applications from visionary researchers eager to usher in a new era of mental health, substance harm, and wellbeing solutions. Our aspiration is for everyone to access the help they need, when they need it. We are particularly keen on funding research that explores emergent approaches to mental wellbeing, intervention, and recovery from addiction. While we are receptive to any innovative research, we are especially interested by studies focussing on:
· Mātauranga Māori
· E-mental health and digital innovations
· The intersection of disability and mental health (including FASD)
· Prevention & Early intervention in Youth and schools
· Suicide Prevention & Lived Experience co-design
· Workplace Mental Health
· Research crafted in close collaboration with communities most in need.
We are also interested in researchers wanting to walk closely alongside the Ember Innovations' "Challenge Process" to inform our work. Email kiaora@emberinnovations.nz to find out more.
Qualification Level: Masters or above
CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERATION
Focus areas: Mental Health, Substance or non-substance harm treatment, intervention, prevention, or promotion.
Of particular interest (but not essential criteria) Mātauranga Māori, e-mental health & digital innovations, the intersection of disability and mental health (including FASD), prevention and early intervention in youth and schools, suicide prevention and lived experience co design, workplace mental health and studies crafted in close collaboration with communities most in need.
• Must champion innovation.
• Can encompass health, societal, or creative arts perspectives.
• Excludes strictly medical approaches.
Lived Experience Research Grant
For research in any discipline/category led by a researcher with personal experience of mental distress or substance, or non-substance harm
Ember dreams of an Aotearoa New Zealand that has a more compassionate response to mental health, addiction, and intellectual disability. We see the valuable contribution that researchers with personal journeys of mental distress or substance harm are making to the world of research, and to our dream of the future. Despite the accomplishments of individuals with lived experiences, societal obstacles such as stigma, prejudice, and discrimination endure. Through this grant, we aim to not only boost the academic careers of researchers embracing their lived experience of mental distress and substance harm recovery and to amplify the significant contributions they are already making to research. By doing so, we hope to recalibrate perceptions around lived experiences within academic circles.
Whilst the focus of this research does not have to be on mental health, the researcher needs to be willing to be open about their lived experience. Ember is committed to providing guidance on the safe and appropriate sharing of lived experience to the successful grant recipient(s).
Qualification Level: Masters or above
CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERATION
• Open to any research topic, area or discipline.
• Explicitly invites researchers who are transparent about their own lived experience and the invaluable insights their recovery journey provides.
• Ember can help with guidance for the successful recipient/s on safe sharing of their lived or living experiences.
General Criteria for both opportunities
General criteria (for both opportunities)
Candidates must exhibit a strong inclination to publish their research.
The highest funding available is $50,000. Funding duration can stretch up to 3 years. No overheads are allowed to be budgeted for.
Ember Innovations will only cover the salary/salaries of the PI and/or co-applicant(s) who are dependent on them securing some or all of their salary from external funding agencies (so called “soft” or "external" funding).
PhD or Masters students can be named as a co-applicant, but cannot be a PI.
Requests for items of equipment (maximum value $5,000) should include a justification for the equipment and a quotation. Items under a value of $2,000 should be classed as consumables.
For the 2025 round we have added a new step in the selection process which assesses your applications’ eligibility for the funding call and confirm that your proposed research fits within its specified scope. If your application is deemed ineligible or if your research fails to align with the aims of the funding call, we will withdraw your application and notify you accordingly.
Important dates
Information Workshop (optional)
Friday, 29th August 2025.
10am to 12pm
49 Symonds Street, University of Auckland Campus Rimu Room 10th Floor
An opportunity to ask questions, meet the Panel and hear from previous recipients.
RSVPs essential - click here.
Deadline for applications
COB Friday 10th October 2025
Eligibility Review
From 13th to 24th October 2025
Panel Deliberations
Thursday, 30th October 2025
Final Shortlisted Presentations
Friday 21st November 2025
Result
1st December 2025
Click here for an application form and if you prefer a word document please enquire at kiaora@emberinnovations.nz
To apply, submit your applications to: submissions@auckland.ac.nz