Kia ora, here we are at the tail-end of 2021, and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to ringing in a new – and hopefully better – year!
Covid-19 has again caused much disruption this year, with long lockdowns affecting whānau, schools and businesses throughout the country.
We have been fortunate that much of the work A Better Start is doing to ensure a brighter future for our children has been able to go ahead with minimal disruption and I want to thank all of researchers, collaborators, stakeholders, communities and families who have supported our work this year.
We currently have six major child health research projects underway – focused on sleep interventions, early learning and literacy, mental health and resilience, and healthy weight – as well as 12 contestable projects with our co-funders Cure Kids, which we announced mid-year and are all now getting underway. We’ll be sharing updates on those projects with you throughout 2022.
We are also excited to be announcing a major new Pasifika research project in January – stay tuned!
In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays from all of us at A Better Start National Science Challenge.
Ngā mihi
Wayne Cutfield, Director, A Better Start National Science Challenge
