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Just a gentle reminder that the Pacific Development Field Research Grants are open until 31 March 2026 (11:59 PM NZT).Please help us spread the word and encourage eligible candidates to apply for our prestigious grants. We would also like to thank the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for supporting this programme.
Please click on the video link here for instructions on how to prepare a good application and research proposal: youtu.be/AVUG9NZ1KhM
Meet our next 2026 DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardee!
Khulani Dube is a PhD student at the Auckland University of Technology, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Health (PhD). His research focuses on strengthening HIV responses for vulnerable populations, particularly young women in Zimbabwe. His doctoral study, titled “Post-USAID Withdrawal: Strengthening HIV Programming through Sustainable Digital and Community-Led Models for Young Women in Zimbabwe,” seeks to co-design digital health solutions and community-led approaches that will enable young women to continue accessing HIV prevention services in Zimbabwe following the withdrawal of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Through this work, he hopes to develop sustainable models that can be adapted across the Southern African region to support resilient HIV programming. The study also has relevance for New Zealand, as the digital and community-led approaches developed through the research could be adapted and scaled to support inclusive and culturally responsive HIV prevention and broader public health interventions among vulnerable and underserved communities.
Khulani is a development practitioner by both qualification and professional experience, with over eight years of experience working in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector. His work has largely focused on HIV prevention programs for young women, as well as initiatives that promote livelihoods and education within vulnerable communities. He holds a Master of Science in Development Studies and a Master of Arts in Monitoring and Evaluation, which have equipped him with strong analytical, program management, and evaluation skills that support his research and professional contributions in international development and public health.
Congratulations Khulani!
Congratulations Dini Mariska, a PhD student in Development Studies at the University of Auckland. Dini is one of our 2026 DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardees.
Her research is about young adults’ resilience in post‑disaster tourism in Aceh, Indonesia. Dini explores how young adults, who form the largest demographic group and a vital part of the tourism workforce, navigate, embody, and perform resilience in regions repeatedly struck by natural hazards, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2025 floods and landslides.
Through ethnographic fieldwork, Dini investigates how resilience is expressed in everyday routines, emotional experiences, bodily practices, and interactions within tourism spaces, such as memorial sites and disaster‑affected landscapes. This research aims to fill a critical gap by highlighting the lived experiences of Acehnese young adults and offering insights that support inclusive, stronger, culturally grounded, and community‑led resilience strategies for tourism development in disaster‑prone environments.
Congratulations Viliame Kasanawaqa, a Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science and Pacific Studies) candidate at the University of Canterbury. Viliame is one of our 2026 DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardees.
His research topic is The Changing Dynamics of Ocean Jurisdiction: Deep Currents of Hegemony, Resistance, and Governance in the Pacific.
Viliame shares:
“I am a Pacific researcher focusing on sustainability, ocean governance, and the political economy of Deep-Sea Mining (DSM) in island and small states. My doctoral research is funded by the Government of Fiji and examines shifting power dynamics, hegemony, and community resistance within Pacific ocean jurisdictions.
Grounded in the Wasa Liwa (Deep Ocean) Nexus, an Indigenous relational jurisprudence informed by iTaukei ocean knowledge, my work explores custodianship, environmental justice, and ocean futures.
With support from the DevNet Postgraduate Field Research Award, I am co-developing a DSM Social Impact Assessment Toolkit. This involves co-designing social, cultural, spiritual, and non-economic indicators with communities, and testing their applicability through Talanoa-based fieldwork in Fiji, comparative engagement in the Cook Islands, and desktop policy analysis for Nauru.
The toolkit aims to support Pacific governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in assessing the social and cultural implications of emerging seabed activities. I am grateful to the Government of Fiji and DevNet for supporting this research and its contributions to Pacific-led ocean governance.”
Photo1: Community Consultation in Tonia, Tailevu 2025, Fiji.
Photo 2: NZPSA Conference 2025 Otago University – Presenting Fiji Data findings.
Meet Lily Bond, a Master's student in International Development and Planning at the University of Otago, who's just been awarded the DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Award 2026! 🎉. Her research explores how community-led marine protected areas contribute to livelihoods, governance, and marine stewardship in the Pacific, with a case study in Beqa Island, Fiji.
Congratulations Lily!