Announcing the inaugural winners of the ACC Scholarship

MEDIA RELEASE | 18 November 2024

Announcing the inaugural winners of the ACC Scholarship

Universities New Zealand -Te Pōkai Tara is delighted to have partnered with Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to administer the newly established ACC Scholarship.

Two students—Hana Sikma and Merrick Rodrigues—have been awarded full scholarships worth $15,000 each. Four students—Merope Griffin, Luke Hollis, Reghan Laurie, and Adrian Pretorius—have been awarded partial scholarships of $7500 each.

Scholarships are awarded to eligible full-time or part-time candidates enrolled in a master’s degree at an approved Aotearoa New Zealand institution, who have started or will undertake research into a topic that relates to ACC’s research priorities.

Hana Sikma will investigate how Emergency Medical Service response times affect health outcomes for people aged 65 and over who suffer hip fractures from falls. Hana will complete this work for her Master of Philosophy in Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Her study will analyse data across all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, with particular attention to health equity for Māori and Pasifika populations. Hana brings experience as both a physiotherapist and paramedic to her study. Her goal is to inform changes to 111 call triage systems to reduce waiting times and improve outcomes for elderly fall victims.

Merrick Rodrigues will research how pre-existing disabilities affect both the severity of injuries and the recovery process as part of a Master in Public Health at the University of Otago. The study leverages data from two major New Zealand injury studies that followed participants over 12 years. With one in four New Zealanders reporting some form of disability, this research will address an important knowledge gap. This study is particularly valuable as it includes the largest cohort of Māori who’ve suffered physical injuries ever studied. Merrick will analyse both quantitative and qualitative data to help inform ACC and others about optimal recovery strategies for people with pre-injury disabilities.

Merope Griffin will undertake a Master of Health Sciences at the University of Otago. Her research project is to examine how socioeconomic deprivation, rurality, and ethnicity impact injury risk in Aotearoa New Zealand. Using five years of mortality data, her study will analyse how these factors intersect to affect injury-related deaths in people aged under 65, particularly focusing on rural Māori populations. Her work as a GP registrar has given her hands-on experience and emphasised the significant burden of accidents and injuries in rural communities. Merope aims to identify geographic and demographic patterns in injury occurrence to inform targeted interventions that could reduce preventable deaths and address health inequities.

Luke Hollis will work towards a Master of Health Psychology at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. His research focuses on male Child Sexual Abuse survivors, particularly examining how disclosure leads to recovery such as optimised health and reduced injury risks. The study will highlight the importance of human-led therapeutic approaches and informal support networks in long-term recovery. Luke brings both personal experience and professional skills to this project. His study significantly engages with Māori participants and adheres to Te Tiriti principles through extensive consultation with Māori experts, culturally appropriate methods, and partnership with Māori health services.

Reghan Laurie will work towards a Masters of Science in Psychology at the University of Otago. His research will focus on improving mental health services for dairy farmers by interviewing them about their experiences and needs. Reghan’s research recognises that there is a disconnect between traditional therapy, which is typically urban-focused, and rural farming culture. New Zealand dairy farmers are facing a mental health crisis with high rates of burnout, stress, and substance use, yet they often resist seeking help. Coming from a dairy farming background himself, Reghan wants to understand what changes farmers would like to see in mental health services and what motivates them to stay in the industry despite its challenges.

Adrian Pretorius will work towards a Master of Public Health at Massey University. Using an interview-based methodology, Adrian will research how older adults living independently utilise apps on tablets or smartphones to help prevent falls. His aim is to understand what users like and don’t like about them, what motivates them to keep using them, and what challenges they face. The end goal is to help design better digital health tools that will aid in the prevention of falls for older adults. Adrian sees this research as particularly important as falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults worldwide, and finding effective, user-friendly ways to prevent them could enable older people to maintain their independence for longer.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) was established in 1974. It delivers injury prevention initiatives and no-fault personal injury cover for everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand. ACC funds postgraduate research scholarships to deliver evidence that helps address complex challenges and informs longer-term investment decisions in injury prevention and sustained recovery, specifically in the context of injury compensation. 

The ACC Scholarship is administered by Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara.  

Applications reopen on 1 June 2025 and close on 15 August 2025. Details are available on the scholarship’s page. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact comms@universitiesnz.ac.nz or +64 27 636 5050.