The study was one of eighteen successful funding proposals announced by New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) this week.

The $70,000 grant will help fund the Scoping & Kaupapa Māori Grounding for ADHD Research Among Māori Adults project which addresses a critical gap, says Assoc. Prof. Rangiwai.

“To date, there has been no dedicated research into the experiences of Māori adults with ADHD — ever,” he explains.
“This six-month scoping phase will establish the kaupapa, relationships, and framework for a multi-stage programme, He Ara Mārama: Illuminating Pathways for Māori Adults with ADHD, designed to transform how ADHD is understood, diagnosed, and supported in Aotearoa.

Assoc. Prof. Rangiwai will be supported by a research team which includes his colleague at Ngā Wai a Te Tūī: Māori & Indigenous Research Centre, Associate Professor, Lefaoalii Dion Enari.

He says the study is timely and urgently needed because ADHD research in Aotearoa has largely focused on children, leaving Māori adults almost invisible in the data.

“Many experience under-diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or a lack of culturally appropriate support. This project will centre Māori knowledge, voices, and lived experiences to build approaches that align with Māori values and aspirations,” he adds.
“This kaupapa is about tino rangatiratanga in health. For the first time, Māori adults living with ADHD will be seen, heard, and understood on their own terms.”

Assoc. Prof. Rangiwai says this work responds directly to the Ministry of Health’s 2024 Overview on Neurodiversity, which calls for culturally-responsive approaches and improved outcomes for Māori.

With only nine projects funded in the 2025 Matakitenga round, its success demonstrates both the strength of the proposal and the importance of this kaupapa.

The project brings together a diverse and experienced research team:

• Associate Professor Byron Rangiwai (Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe), Unitec – Principal Investigator
• Associate Professor Shiloh Groot (Te Arawa), University of Auckland – Co-Principal Investigator
• Associate Professor Lefaoali’i Dion Enari (Samoa), Unitec – Co-Principal Investigator and Pacific Partner
• Tua’ipulotu Inspector William Cuthers (Tainui, Cook Islands Māori) – ADHD NZ Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP), Police Inspector and independent/community researcher.

The team will conduct a literature review, hold regional hui with Māori adults, whānau, iwi leaders, and health providers, establish a Māori-led advisory board, and co-develop a Kaupapa Māori research and ethics framework to guide future phases.