Pre-Call Matariki Engagement Grant 2026

Exciting opportunity for 2026/7!

Following on from the success of the Matariki Leadership Programme which has been running since 2021, the Matariki Network has launched another call for a funding opportunity open to Professional Services staff across the Network – The Matariki Engagement Grant. Last year, we were delighted to support four collaborative projects across the Network, which you can read about here.

What is the fund to be used for?

The Matariki Engagement Grant (MEG) is intended to enhance personal- and career 
development, professional leadership expertise and international collaboration. Successful applicants are expected to identify a collaboration project commencing in 2026 and running for a maximum of 12 months. The lead collaborator will work with at least one other Matariki institution and share their learning and any other outputs with the Matariki Network in the form of a short summary report. Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of £5,000 per project. The number of grants awarded will be limited, with the expectation of approximately four awards granted across the entire Matariki Network.

Application
Colleagues will be asked to complete an application outlining their project proposal and confirming who their collaboration partner/s will be. This application will open on the 2nd March 2026 and close on the 22nd May 2026 at 23:59 (BST). Further guidance can be found via the grant’s information page and the online application can be accessed via this link. Prior to the opening of the application, applicants are welcomed to send a draft project outline to their respective Matariki Coordinator should they need help in identifying a suitable partner.

Matariki Engagement Grant Questions 2026

Management approval
We will require the applicant’s manager to endorse the application through a letter of support to ensure that their proposal can be accommodated within their divisional workload requirements, complies with their institutional employment terms and conditions and their institutional policies and procedures for engaging with cross institution working and data protection.

Selection process
Applications will be assessed locally by a panel of senior leaders and then up to two project nominations per institution will be forwarded to the central Matariki Judging Panel for final assessment. Successful candidates will be notified by the end of June 2026. Consideration will be given to try to ensure as wide a representation as possible from the Matariki partners and the various Professional Service areas found within institutions. This may also provide an opportunity to develop cross-institution discipline-specific networks and contacts within the Matariki partner institutions.
 Please consult the grant’s information page which contains further information and FAQs, and send any queries to your institution’s respective Matariki Coordinator.
An online information and networking session will be held on the 3rd March 2026 at 6pm GMT. This will provide an opportunity to find out a bit more about the fund, ask any questions you may have, and potentially also meet prospective project partners. Registration is essential via this link.

Up until the 23rd March, potential applicants seeking project partners are invited to complete a short online form for assistance: Matariki Engagement Grant - Partner request form

There will be an information session on 3rd March, please see here for more information: Matariki Engagement Grant Info Session