'Watching you watching me' | Photo by Elaine Donovan. Elaine's photo, taken during fieldwork in Malawi for her doctoral dissertation, won the 2014 AAS/ANSA Photography Competition.

Kākano Fund

The Kākano Fund was established in 1985 by funds gifted by Dame Joan Metge and is administered by the Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand. In 2009 a bequest from the estate of Raewyn Goode was added to the fund.

The Kākano Fund primarily assists Masters students with a major in Social or Cultural Anthropology who are completing theses or dissertations. Consideration will also be given to BA Hons and PhD students if funding permits.

Kākano Fund Awards

Applications are invited from students enrolled in a graduate degree course for a BA Hons or MA or PhD in Social or Cultural Anthropology at a New Zealand University.

Students are eligible for an award if their course requires the completion of a single thesis, a dissertation, or a research portfolio. Round One applications are now open.

• For BA Honours and Masters students applying in Round One, the date of final submission of their work should be within the period of 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026.

• PhD students may apply twice. Each application must be in a different round, falling between the date of the formal approval of their full candidacy and the date of their dissertation’s final acceptance.

• The deadline for Round One applications and statements of support is Friday 17 April 2026.

There will be two funding rounds in 2026. Round Two will be for those whose submission falls between 1 October 2026 through 31 March 2027.

The fund provides financial assistance towards one or more of the following:

1. Thesis production costs, e.g. printing, photocopying, and thesis binding;

2. Costs involved in attending and presenting a paper at a conference, such as travel, conference registration, and accommodation.

The maximum amounts awarded are $300 per applicant. The actual amounts awarded may be lower than requested, depending on funding levels and number of applications. Applications for costs incurred retrospectively will be considered. The Kākano Award includes the monetary grant and complimentary membership of ASAA/NZ for two years.

Students may be granted an award once only as a Masters student. Doctoral students are eligible for two grants over the course of their candidacy, as long as their applications are in different years.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the round within two weeks of the closing date. Successful applicants will be invited to supply a research illustration or personal photo to be published in the ASAA/NZ Newsletter and website, with their research titles and abstracts.

Deadline for applications and letters of support:

Round One applications close on Friday 17 April 2026.
Round Two applications are likely to open in August, and will close in September 2026.

Applications must be made on the application form and include:

• Personal and contact details (including postal address)

• Thesis details: title and abstract (half a page); planned date of submission; name of supervisor(s)
  OR
  Conference paper details: title, abstract, name of conference and hosting organisation, dates

• Budget: providing the total amount of assistance sought and the purpose for which the funds will be used, supported by quotations, receipts or price lists for all budget items

• Applicants must ask their main supervisor to provide a brief statement of support – emailed directly by the supervisor to Dr Courtney Addison – which includes a clear statement of the merit of the thesis or conference paper and of the application. This statement of support must be provided. Without it, the application is incomplete.

Email your completed application to Dr Courtney Addison, Chair of the Kākano Committee.