The New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS) has been and will continue to apply the Code of Conduct developed by Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence to its events. Te Pūnaha Matatini has had useful overlap with NZAS Council and has developed a code of conduct designed to be applicable for multi-disciplinary events and academic/research communities.

Where Te Pūnaha Matatini or its leadership groups appear in the code, please substitute NZAS or NZAS Officers and Council (respectively). The most recently updated Te Pūnaha Matatini Code of Conduct can be accessed at this link. 

As a Constituent Organisation of the Royal Society Te Aparangi, we are also bound by this Code of Professional Standards and Ethics.

For 2021 events, it is useful to proactively comment on how we would like to see any discussion on the topic of Science and Mātauranga Māori handled under this Code, particularly given that the Association's paramount aim is "working for the benefit of all society through the application of science." There has been a tendency to restate poorly founded claims that mātauranga is not science, or that resources supporting the pursuit of mātauranga or te ao Māori within research necessarily detract from the pursuit of science. These views tend to be upsetting and inconsistent with the full participation of any people who identify as Māori, or with other indigenous peoples. An example of such views has been deemed "harmful" by the leading officers of The Royal Society Te Aparangi. We ask that participants avoid entering into or continuing discourse that is potentially harmful to members of our community, and take every opportunity to recast any debate into a form that lifts the mana of all involved in science and research.