WWRP's InPHRA Project Co-Chair Celine Cattoën-Gilbert Awarded Prestigious Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship
The Royal Society Te Apārangi has announced that Celine Cattoën-Gilbert, a member of the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) and Co-Chair of the Integrated Prediction of Precipitation and Hydrology for Early Actions (InPRHA), is among the 12 mid-career researchers selected to receive a Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship in 2025.
The Mana Tūānuku Fellowships form part of the Government’s Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships, introduced in 2024 to strengthen Aotearoa New Zealand’s science, innovation, and technology (SI&T) system. The initiative supports researchers to deliver excellent, impactful research while growing as leaders within their disciplines, host institutions, and national and international research communities.
Targeted at researchers with 4–12 years of demonstrated excellence since completing their PhDs, each Mana Tūānuku Fellowship provides $1.16 million over four years. The funding enables recipients to accelerate ambitious research programmes, consolidate and expand leadership capability, and enhance the impact of their work for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Over the next four years, Celine’s fellowship will support research into how Aotearoa New Zealand can improve preparedness for extreme flood events. Her work takes a complex systems approach, integrating physical science, social science, and Mātauranga Māori to strengthen flood risk management and resilience in a changing climate. The research will be undertaken in close partnership with regional councils and Māori partners, particularly in Tairāwhiti, where long-standing collaboration continues to guide and inspire the mahi. Strong links with Te Pūnaha Matatini and colleagues at Earth Sciences New Zealand will further support the interdisciplinary nature of the programme.
Through her leadership roles within WWRP as the Co-Chair of the InPHRA Project, Celine’s work is closely connected to global efforts to advance flood prediction, early warning systems, and hydrological risk assessment. Continued engagement with World Meteorological Organization networks and the HEPEX community will ensure the research contributes internationally while delivering tangible benefits for communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.