In Aotearoa New Zealand there is a growing recognition that Māori engagement and leadership across the science and research sector is essential for addressing national challenges and realising the distinctive contribution of mātauranga Māori to innovation and knowledge creation (Ministry of Education 2013a). To reap the benefits of the nation’s changing demographics and to centre Te Tiriti o Waitangi in society, it is critical that Māori are engaged in research and decision making in all disciplines and in all sectors. This article considers how Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, is contributing towards addressing and developing challenges and opportunities at the interface between mātauranga Māori and science. The article traces the contribution of NPM as a positive transformative contributor to research in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally