DevNet

2 days ago

The final recipient of the 2026 DevNet Pacific Development Field Research Grant we would like to introduce is Regina Gwaibo. Regina is a Lecturer in the Fisheries and Marine Resources Department at the Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment (PNG UNRE). She holds a Master of Science in Marine Affairs and Resource Management from National Taiwan Ocean University and is passionate about advancing sustainable marine and coastal resource management in Papua New Guinea.

Through her research project, From Pollution to Solution: Developing an Evidence-Based Waste Management System in Papua New Guinea, Regina will investigate the sources of plastic pollution in urban and rural coastal environments. Her research will quantify and analyse the composition and distribution of plastic debris, using this baseline information to develop and trial practical waste management solutions.

Regina is grateful to DevNet for supporting this important work through its research grant programme. With plastic pollution posing an increasing threat to marine ecosystems and coastal communities worldwide, this timely research will contribute valuable local solutions to a global challenge.

Congratulations, Regina! ... See MoreSee Less

DevNet

7 days ago

It is our pleasure to introduce our next Pacific Development Field Research Grant awardee — Anawaite Matadradra-Dolavale.

Ana is an emerging Pacific scholar based in the School of Law and Social Sciences at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. She holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies and a PhD in History from the University of the South Pacific.

Ana's current research focuses on social cohesion, trust, and community life within informal settlements in Fiji. While research on informal settlements has often focused on relocation, housing, infrastructure, and environmental vulnerability, her work explores how people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds build relationships, support one another, and navigate everyday life within shared community spaces. The research also examines how migration, settlement experiences, displacement, and colonial legacies continue to shape community relationships and social cohesion today.

"I am truly grateful to DevNet NZ for awarding me this research grant and for supporting emerging Pacific scholars and community-based research across the Pacific region. Vinaka vakalevu for this opportunity," said Ana.

Congratulations Ana! ... See MoreSee Less

DevNet

1 week ago

It is our pleasure to introduce the next Pacific Development Research Grant recipient, Dr Lydia Kaforau (PhD in Public Health, RN). Dr Kaforau is an early-career academic and researcher. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences and a Researcher at the School of Public Health, Faculty of Nursing, Medicine and Health Sciences, Solomon Islands National University.

With DevNet funding, Dr Kaforau will conduct the research titled:

Review of the Solomon Islands Nurses' Scope of Practice: A Participatory Action Research with Nurse Administrators, Educators, Academics and the Solomon Islands Nursing Council.

This research aims to collaboratively review the scope of practice of registered nurses in the Solomon Islands with nurse administrators, educators, and academics through Participatory Action Research. The study will review the registered nurse scope of practice policy, supporting policies, legislation, the Nursing Act, regulatory frameworks, and professional standards; identify gaps and challenges; develop recommendations for revision; and propose a practical, context-specific framework to support safe and effective nursing practice in the Solomon Islands.

Congratulations, Dr Kaforau! ... See MoreSee Less

DevNet

2 weeks ago

It is our pleasure to introduce our next Pacific Development Field Research Grant Awardee, Priteshni Pratibha Chand. Priteshni is a Lecturer in Economics at The University of Fiji. She holds a Master of Commerce degree in Economics from The University of the South Pacific.

Her research is titled “Low Female Labour Force Participation: Causes, Implications and Impacts on Economic Development of Developing Countries: The Case of Fiji.” Using Fiji as the primary case study, this research investigates the paradox of high female literacy rates alongside disproportionately low female labour force participation. The study also aims to quantify the economic costs associated with the underutilisation of female labour and estimate the potential gains in household welfare that could be achieved through greater workforce participation by women. By addressing these critical areas, the research seeks to provide a constructive framework for evaluating the broader impacts of female economic empowerment on Fiji’s national development. ... See MoreSee Less