One way you can make sure that research includes your voice, is to contribute as a research participant.
Taking part as a research participant is one way to make sure your important voice is included in research findings, and making a difference.
The following research projects are either general calls for research participants, or are specifically seeking participants with diverse backgrounds.
Projects listed here have been approved by a relevant research ethics committee.
If you would like to list your research project, please contact us on kiaora@eraotearoa.org
Co-creating a parental resource with ethnic minority parents to support youth mental health
A University of Auckland-led research project seeks to understand experiences of being a parent in New Zealand to know what information can help to better support mental health and wellbeing of young people.
Eligibility:
Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African background
parent/caregiver of a young person aged 10-24
What to expect:
15-minute survey
receive a $15 Woolworths voucher (plus extra for referring others!)
Cantonese language mainenance
New Zealand has a long history with Cantonese speakers, with the first arriving as gold miners and increasing numbers since the 1950s. In spite of the steady influx of Cantonese speakers very little is known about their language practices and attitudes. We want to find out how many people actually speak Cantonese and/or a related dialect, and how many have shifted away to English or another language.
We are interested in exploring the factors that have led to those language choices. We are also interested in investigating the attitudes people have towards Cantonese and whether participants feel the language is associated to their identity in New Zealand.
Eligibility:
18 years and older
speak Cantonese or a Cantonese-related dialect
have family with Cantonese, or Cantonese-related dialect, ancestry
What to expect:
15-20 minute survey
opportunity to go into a prize draw to win one of two $50 petrol vouchers
Community language teachers
Margaret Connelly, a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington, is interested in the professional experiences of heritage language teachers, including those working in community contexts. (For the scope of this research, she is focusing on any language except the official languages of New Zealand.)
This research project involves talking to community language teachers about their professional experiences, covering three key topics:
how community and heritage language (CL) teachers experience the effects of things like class rules, teaching materials, their training, and the places they work;
how CL teachers see themselves as professionals in their language schools and communities;
what CL teachers think about their training and development, especially regarding how much it's needed, how available it is, how suitable it is, and how it affects their professional status and recognition.
The broad aim of the project is to help strengthen CL education in New Zealand.
What to expect:
Visits, interviews, and group discussions
Dose-response effects of nitrate-rich beetroot drink on blood pressure in adults with untreated high blood pressure
Reder Msalih is a Doctoral researcher at Massey University, and is a Registered Nutritionist (New Zealand). Reder is leading a randomised clinical trial on the effects of drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice on blood pressure.
This study is being conducted by a multidisciplinary team of five academic supervisors from Massey University, Auckland, including nutrition, physiology, and clinical health experts.
Eligibility:
Based in Auckland
Between 30 and 75 years old
Have high blood pressure, or think you might
Are not taking blood pressure medication
Do not engage in intense exercise more than once a week
Do not have heart disease, stroke, or diabetes
Do not smoke or vape
What to expect:
4 visits after eligibility check
drink a glass of beetroot juice per visit
non-invasive measurements (for example, blood pressure measurement)
provide blood samples
$50 voucher per visit = $200 for 4 visits
The study has been approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee (HDEC #2025 EXP 19717) and registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12625000489493).
Acculturation experiences of skilled South Asian immigrants
Ziaul Jewel is a Massey University doctoral student and a Bangladeshi immigrant living in Aotearoa. Ziaul is interested to learn more about South Asians’ motivation to relocate, resettlement challenges, and its effect on their lives in Aotearoa.
Eligibility:
from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. This excludes individuals of Indian heritage who have migrated to Fiji, South Africa, or any other place
have immigrated voluntarily to Aotearoa
have relocated to Aotearoa within the past 10 years and have resided at least 2 years in Aotearoa
currently employed.
What to expect:
confidential 1 hour interview
$50 gift voucher
This study has been approved by the Massey University Human Ethics Committee for 3 years from 16 September 2024 (OM2 24/41)
Language transmission in multilingual families
A multi-country study by Karlstad University, Sweden, in conjunction with Griffith University, Australia, Massey University, New Zealand, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore seeks to investigate the environment in which multilingual parents raise their children and what might impact on parents’ decisions to transmit, or not, their home languages to their children.
Eligibility:
Aged over 18 years old
live in a family in which more than one language is used or could be used, or
if you are or have been a parent or primary carer of at least one child over 2 years of age
if you were yourself raised or exposed to more than one language at home as a child.
What to expect:
web-based questionnaire
20-30 minutes, in one session
The relationship between Asian primary health workers and Māori health service users and the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Vy Tran, a Vietnamese PhD candidate at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is seeking participants for her study. Her doctoral research examines how Asian general practitioners and nurses understand Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how this understanding shapes their care for Māori health service users.
Eligibility:
Identify as Asian
Practise as a GP or a nurse in Aotearoa
Be between 18 to 65 years old.
What to expect:
One hour interview
a $50 Woolworths voucher
Exploring impacts on gender-based violence amongst Asian communities in Aotearoa
Registered social worker and PhD candidate at University of Canterbury, Jean Hur, is undertaking a study on exploring impacts on gender-based violence amongst Asian communities in Aotearoa. She is seeking two participant groups to interview one-to-one:
Health practitioners (social worker, counsellor, GP etc) who have engaged with Asian women and/or communities impacted by violence for a minimum of two years.
Community leaders for Asian population groups in Aotearoa that want to share or discuss their perspectives on violence in their Asian community in Aotearoa.
Consultation for integrative support of young Asian sexual violence survivors: Focus group members
The Centre for Arts and Social Transformation is conducting a study to understand the challenges faced by support service providers in helping young Asian sexual violence survivors in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study aims to gather insights to shape a future strategic model for enhanced health service delivery, with the goal of providing better integrated support for survivors.
Eligibility:
Aged 18+
Support service providers (for example, legal, school support, healthcare, mental health professionals)
Current or past experience (in the last two years) in supporting young Asian sexual violence survivors
What to expect:
Arts-based focus group with other service providers
2 to 2.5 hours
$100 Prezzy card
Expert Advisory Group members for developing health prevention resources tailored to South Asian communities
Eligibility:
South Asian mental health clinicians
Psychologist, social worker, counsellor, therapist, nurse, mental health professional
Passionate about culturally safe, trauma-informed care
Able to translate resources from English to other South Asian languages
What to expect:
Paid as member of Expert Advisory Group
1 hour per month, with more towards the end of the calendar year
1-2 hours per month for review of resources
A collective understanding of family violence and sexual violence from the perspective of Africans in Aotearoa New Zealand
An independent team of African researchers are undertaking a research project funded by the Ministry of Social Development.
Eligibility:
You self-identify as an African migrant or former refugee in Aotearoa New Zealand
Your ancestor(s) are native to the African continent (one of your parents or grandparents is native to the African continent)
You currently reside in Aotearoa New Zealand.
You do not need to be victim-survivor or a witness, the researchers welcome everyone’s perspectives.
What to expect:
2-hour online community hui (gathering)
Alcohol and drug use in the Asian community
Researchers from Asian Family Services (AFS) and the University of Auckland are looking for participants who:
- are aged 18 or over
- self-identify as Asian
- reside in New Zealand
- has experienced harm or challenges related to the use of alcohol and/or drugs
What to expect:
One-on-one interview
1 - 1.5 hours
MS Teams, Zoom, or in-person at a safe location
Participation is confidential
All personal information is securely stored
$80 Giftpay or Prezzy voucher
The role of leaders in fostering psychological safety for ethnic minority and ethnic majority employees
Hansini Gunasekara, a PhD researcher at AUT, is conducting a study on how leaders influence employee psychological safety in New Zealand organisations. As part of this study, the team aims to collect survey data from 440 full-time employees across various sectors, industries, and roles (both leadership and non-leadership).
Are you:
- employed full-time (that is, 30 or more hours a week)
- reporting to a leader in an organisation based in New Zealand
- proficient in English so can grant informed consent and answer a survey with ease
Researchers are hoping to survey 200 participants who identify as an ethnic minority, and 200 who identify as ethnic majority.
What to expect:
Online survey
Approximately 20 minutes
Navigating stigma and identity: Lived experiences of neurodivergent (ADHD) young Asian women in Aotearoa New Zealand
Irene Zhu is studying for her Master of Health Science in Psychology at Massey University.
Are you?
aged between 18 - 25
a cisgender woman
Asian ethnicity
first-generation child of Asian immigrant parents (born and brought up in New Zealand, but your parents were not)
living in New Zealand
What to expect:
Share your story
$50 voucher as a thank you for your participation
Investigating occupational health, safety, and wellbeing outcomes of hospitality industry workers
Chamika Wickramaarachchi (Massey University) is doing research with hospitality industry workers, investigating occupational health, safety, and wellbeing outcomes.
To be eligible:
work in the hospitality industry - whether you are a chef, café worker, bar attendant, or work in a club, pub, restaurant, hotel, motel
Chamika is particularly interested in the experiences of workers with ethnic backgrounds.
What to expect:
Online survey
Takes approximately 10 minutes
In appreciation of your time, you will have the opportunity to enter a draw to win one of 50 grocery vouchers worth $50 each
