The Moana Nui Rising Fellowship
Spring 2027 Application
We are currently accepting applications for the Spring 2027 Fellowship Session!
The Moana Nui Collective is envisioned as a safe, collaborative, and dynamic learning space for early to mid-career Indigenous Pacific women working in ocean stewardship. At the heart of Moana Nui is a belief that when we elevate Indigenous Pacific women, we tap into the collective wisdom of past generations to inform present-day solutions.
It is our mission to support and connect Indigenous Pacific women to create thriving oceans, healthy economies, and resilient local communities.
It is also our belief that for Indigenous women to rise up as a stronger leadership collective, we must be sufficiently resourced to build ecological, economic, and cultural health for our communities. We believe that ecological and planetary health is intimately tied to cultural and economic well-being. Because of this, The Moana Nui Collective is committed to creating a learning space for leadership to take root that holistic, respectful, collaborative, and iterative.
Through collaborative learning journeys, we intend to provide upcoming Indigenous Pacific women leaders with the skills, tools, inner strength, and community to withstand the many challenges that Indigenous women face in the modern global workplace. We hope that through our curriculum and network, leaders will be better prepared to navigate their career paths with greater agility, ingenuity, flexibility, and fortitude.
We also believe that systemic change happens when we are intentional about how our personal context intersects with our professional training. When we understand ourselves and the oppressive parts of the systems we live and work in, then we are better prepared to recognize and make changes at the institutional level.
The Moana Nui Collective strategies include:
A Fellowship Program for early to mid-career Indigenous Pacific women that offers a modest stipend, mentorship coaching, and a self-reflective leadership skill-building curriculum.
A Network of Women in collaborative engagement within and among cohorts of fellows, their mentors, and the many other wise women that will participate in the collective, including through workshop-style sessions and gatherings.
A Fund for Micro-Grants that is aimed at assisting and supporting grassroots Pacific Ocean stewardship projects and organizations that are led by Indigenous Pacific women.
Thought Leadership that understands and voices the individual and systemic obstacles facing Indigenous Pacific women and elevates and perpetuates the contributions and stories of our collective community.
We envision a future where Indigenous Pacific women are recognized as the heart of ocean stewardship - leading with ancestral knowledge, cultural values, and innovation to protect marine ecosystems, strengthen community resilience, and ensure a thriving ocean for present and future generations.
Instructions:
Please fill out each required question below. We are accepting applicants that respond to each question with thought, care, and thoroughness. Applications will be accepted until December 18, 2026 at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time. We will reach out to applicants with our decisions by December 30th, 2026.
Please do not hesitate to reach out here with any questions or concerns.