Mr Andrew Antony Sporle

Biography

I am based part-time in the Statistics Department at the University of Auckland, where I teach in courses on survey methods, official statistics and statistical literacy. I work primarily in my own businesses working in applied statistics in New Zealand, Australia and Pacific countries. With over two decades experience developing initiatives in social and health research as well as Māori research workforce development, most of my recent work has involved official statistics research in the public, private and academic sectors. I have been involved with official data innovations since 1998, including PRIMHD (national mental health data integration), Family and Whānau Wellbeing Census Data Project, NZ Census Mortality Study, Māori Mortality study, Virtual Health Information Network and applications of the longitudinal census database. Previous research roles have included being a member of University's Human Subjects Ethics Committee in the early 1990s following the Cartwright Inquiry, followed by several years as the inaugural Māori health research manager at the Health Research Council of New Zealand - the New Zealand government's health research funding organisation. My statistical training is through epidemiology - including advanced post-graduate courses in genetic and epigenetic epidemiology. 

My current research interests are focussed around initiating permanent structural changes to research infrastructure and practice with the aim of increasing the impact of research and research resources. These initiatives include improving the Māori responsiveness of mainstream research, creating longitudinal studies with existing data as well as the development of public domain tools to improve the accessibility and utility of official statistics. There is also a long term interest in a community-initiated research programme to identify the causes of hereditary gastric cancer and co-design novel interventions to limit the impact of the disease within families/whanau.(http://www.otago.ac.nz/ctcr/otago055283.html) . My primary focus is an HRC funded longitudinal study of the determinants of Māori wellbeing, called Te Hao Nui. This project is intended to reorientate existing official statistics to be able to be applicable to and accessible by Māori communities.

I am a founding member of Te Mana Rauranga - the Māori data sovereignty network (www.temanararaunga.maori.nz), the Global Indigenous Data Alliance (www.gida-global.org) and was a founding member of the NZ Association of Adolescent Health and Development  (since transformed into AraTaiohi).

He uri ahau no Ngati Apa, Rangitane me Te Rarawa.

Research | Current

Present research/professional speciality

Novel applications of linked administrative data, social inequalities, social research methods, ethnicity/indigeneity, Māori health, Māori responsive research policy, investment and design, youth health, gastric cancer, epigenetics.

Current Roles

Deputy Director of the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge

Better Start National Science Challenge: Science Advisory Panel member

International Sociological Assocation Research Committee RC05 Racism, Nationalism, Indigeneity and Ethnicity: Board member

Te Mana Raraunga: Executive member

Virtual Health Information Network: Executive member

Growing Up in New Zealand: Steering Group member

Genomics Aotearoa Variome Project: Steering Group member

Current grants

2020   Ministry of Social Development  (PI)

            $479,998         Tikanga Māori Strengths-based Index    3 years

2020    HRC COVID-19 and Emerging Infectious Diseases Grant (with Prof C Simpson and others) 

            $533,224         Predict and Prevent COVID-19: a data driven innovation project  2 years

2019    MBIE  Endeavour Grant (with Prof C Simpson and Dr B Milne)

            $2,658,600      Informatics for Social Services and Wellbeing Data New Zealand.   3 years

2019    MBIE  (with Prof J Mann, Prof C Ni Murchu and Prof P Guilford and others)

            $17,800,000      National Science Challenge: Healthier Lives.   5 years

2019    University of Auckland. (co-I with C Walker, I Ziedins, M Parsons, P Rouse)

            $10,000           Distinguished Visitors Grant:   Prof Margaret Brandeau

2019    Australian Bureau of Statistics  (PI with Prof C Wild)

            A$80,000      Extension of iNZight data analytics and graphing freeware.   6 months

2019    Health Research Council of NZ  (Co-I with Bernadette Jones and others)

            $1,186,338      Project Grant: Te Ao Marama: Disability perspectives of tangata whaikaha Maori.   3 years

2019    Ministry of Social Development  (PI)

            $50,000      Project Grant: Design of Evaluation Tool for E Tu Whanau Programme.   6 months

2019    Ministry of Social Development  (co-I with Barry Milne)

            $50,000      Project Grant: Scoping a tikanga informed community strengths index.   6 months

2018    Health Research Council of NZ  (PI)

            $1,198,495      Project Grant: Te Hao Nui.   3 years

2018    Health Research Council of NZ  (Co-I with Dr Moana Theodore)

            $500,000      Emerging Leader Fellowship: Dr Moana Theodore

2017    Ministry of Social Development. (co-I with Allen and Clarke Ltd plus others)

            $443,965           Evaluation of Family Start 

2017    BBHTC National Science Challenge  (co-I with Kay Saville-Smith and others)  

            $1,000,000          Programme Grant. Revitalising the production of affordable homes to provide for                                                      successful, engaged and healthy lives.           2 years

2017    Health Research Council of NZ  (co-I with Prof. Parry Guilford and others)

            $4,971,155​           Programme Grant: Reducing the burden of gastric cancer in New Zealand.   5 years

2017    Health Research Council of NZ  (co-I with Barry Milne and others)

            $1,181,607           Project Grant: Child poverty: health consequences, costs, and policy interventions. 3                                          years

Recent research grants

2017    Ministry of Social Development. (co-I with Dr Tahu Kukutai, University of Waikato)

            $70,000           Project Grant: Housing quality and Whanau Wellbeing

2017    University of Auckland.

            $10,000           Distinguished Visitors Grant:   Prof Julia Lane (Co-I with Barry Milne)

2017    Statistics New Zealand  (Co-I with Kirikowhai Mikaere)  

            $15,000           Iwi defined GIS data boundaries pilot project extension.           1 year

2016    University of Auckland.

            $98,000           Vice Chancellors Strategic Development Grant (co-I with Prof Chris Wild)

2016    University of Auckland.

            $10,000           Distinguished Visitors Grant:   Prof Matt Snipp

2016    Health Research Council of NZ  (PI)

            $10,000           Development Grant: Longitudinal Wellbeing Study.   1 year

2016    Statistics New Zealand  (Co-I with Kirikowhai Mikaere)  

            $10,000           Iwi defined GIS data boundaries pilot project extension..           1 year

2016    Families Commission / SUPERU. (co-I with Dr Tahu Kukutai, University of Waikato)

            $50,000           Project Grant: Whanau structures and wellbeing

2015    University of Auckland. (co-I with Prof Lumley)

            $10,000           Distinguished Visitors Grant:   Prof Sander Greenland

2015    Families Commission / SUPERU. (co-I with Dr Tahu Kukutai, University of Waikato)

            $75,000           Project Grant: Whanau Wellbeing

2014    Health Research Council of NZ  (co-I with Prof Peter Davis, Auckland)

            $1,091,258      Project Grant: Life Course Predictors of Mortality Inequalities. 3 years

2013    Health Research Council of NZ  (PI)

            $1,199,945      Project Grant: Preventable Maori Mortality.   3 years

Teaching | Current

Contributing to:

STATS 705: Applied Official Statistics 

STATS 340/741:Design and conduct of surveys and experiments. 

STATS 150: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics 

COMMS 208: Digital Ethics

POLICY 769: Advanced Research Skills

...as well as occasional guest lectures in New Zealand and overseas

Postgraduate supervision

I may be available as a post-graduate supervisor, especially if it aligns with my current research projects. As my primary employment is outside of the University of Auckland, I may not be able to supervise every semester.

Recent students:

2016         Alex Stuteley    BSc Hons (Medical Statistics) dissertation. "A novel on-line tool using robust
statistical methods and official population statistics to produce population level outcome measures"

2015-16   Natalia Boven.   BA Hons (Statistics) dissertation. "An Examination of Māori Trust and Educational Achievement using the Te Kupenga CURFs".

Distinctions/Honours

2019                Invited plenary, Hack Aotearoa NZ's 1st Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Conference

2014                Invited plenary, World Congress of Epidemiology, Anchorage, Alaska

2012 - current Member, College of Experts. The Health Research Council of New Zealand

2011                International Statistical Institute. Best Cooperative Project Award in Statistical Literacy (joint award)

Areas of expertise

Research design, official statistics, research ethics, multi-methods research, community driven and applied research, research funding

 

Invited Presentations (recent)

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet roundtable, Canberra.

Data driven indigenous development:  data sovereignty and new data approaches empowering indigenous development in New Zealand

Andrew Sporle 8 May 2019

 

Ministry of Health, Cook Islands.

Improving health services by using data

Andrew Sporle 11 March 2019

 

New Zealand Algorithms in the Public Sector Conference. Wellington

Improving Algorithm-based Policy Advice

Andrew Sporle  December 2018

 

Ministry of Social Development Insights and Evaluation Seminar. Wellington.

An overview of Māori Data Sovereignty

Andrew Sporle  December 2018

 

Kaumatua Service Providers Conference. New Plymouth.

He Oranga Hauora

Andrew Sporle  21 November 2018

 

Plant and Food Research Workshop. Auckland.

An overview of Māori Data Sovereignty

Andrew Sporle   November 2018

 

National Science Challenges' Lifecourse Symposium. Wellington.

Ka hao te rangatahi: Life course approaches in Aotearoa

Andrew Sporle   October 2018

 

Pharmac seminar. Wellington.

Changing the game – using new tools and existing data to address health inequity.

Andrew Sporle   October 2018

 

Australasian Epidemiological Association. Waikato Tainui College.

Changing the game – what can be done to build the capacity and capability of epidemiology to address inequity in Aotearoa

Andrew Sporle   August 2018

 

CoMPASS Big Health Data Symposium. Auckland.
Data, difference, and an indigenous development dividend to big data health analytics.
Andrew Sporle   June 2018

 

Melbourne Institute Public Economics Forum, Canberra.

Empowering Indigenous Development: Data about, for, with or by Indigenous People

Andrew Sporle. 19 September 2017

 

RIMU, Auckland Council, Research workshop

Māori Data Sovereignty 

James Hudson, Andrew Sporle and Tahu Kukutai  28 July 2017

 

Office of the Prime Minister, Data and Research Workshop, Cook Islands

Data Sovereignty and Development.

Andrew Sporle   10 July 2017

 

Partnership Pilot Projects Workshop: Statistics NZ. Wellington.       

Iwi Defined Data Boundaries.

Andrew Sporle and Kirikowhai Mikaere.  15 May 2017

 

International Workshop on Government Administrative Data for Policy-relevant Research: Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA.       

Linked Administrative Data for an Entire Nation.

Andrew Sporle.  1-2 May 2017

 

Te Ritorito 2017 Forum: Towards whānau, hapū and iwi wellbeing. SuPERU and Te Puni Kokiri. Wellington.​       

Te Kupenga: the opportunities and challenges in measuring whānau wellbeing​.

Andrew Sporle.  3-4 April 2017

http://www.superu.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Events/1420pm%20-Andrew%20Sporle.pdf 

 

NZ Treasury Guest Lecture:        

Data and Development: Maori interests in the data ecosystem.

Maui Hudson, Kirikowhai Mikaere and Andrew Sporle.  12 December 2016

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/media-speeches/guestlectures/pdfs/tgls-hudson-mikaere-sporle-slides.pdf

 

Healthier Lives National Science Challenge Korero Tahi:

NCDs: A Māori Perspective.

Andrew Sporle. 18 October 2016

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI9wuya4kmqW7TYWj5Y-AK-0cV9fHnwcA

 

Indigenous Open Data Summit, Madrid.

Te Mana Raraunga - Māori Data Sovereignty in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kirikowhai Mikaere and Andrew Sporle. 5 October 2016

http://usindigenousdata.arizona.edu/indigenous-open-data-summit-agenda

 

Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit Seminar: Families and Whānau Status Report 2016. Whanau Wellbeing.  

Andrew Sporle, Tahu Kukutai and Matt Roskruge. 22 July 2016

http://www.superu.govt.nz/seminar_families_whanau_2016

 

Ageing Well National Science Challenge Combined Governance meeting

Māori Responsiveness in Research.

Tahu Kukutai and Andrew Sporle

 

Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit Seminar: Families and Whānau Status Report 2015.

Expressions of Whānau  

Tahu Kukutai, Andrew Sporle and Matt Roskruge. 23 July 2015

http://www.superu.govt.nz/news-and-events/2015-families-and-wh-nau-status-report-presentation

 

 

Conference Presentations (recent)

International Association for Official Statistics Biennial Conference .

OECD, Paris . September 2018

Making Official Statistics Usable by Non-Statisticians: Novel tools for reducing the skill barriers to using official statistics. Andrew Sporle, Chris WIld, Daniel Barnett and Alex Stuteley

 

Australian Population Association Biennial Conference 2016.

Sydney. 29 Nov – 2 Dec 2016

Indigenous concepts of family in Aotearoa NZ: Findings from Te Kupenga, the 2013 Māori Social Survey. Tahu Kukutai and Andrew Sporle.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Transforming Official Statistics to Enhance Their Contribution to Māori Development in Aotearoa New Zealand. Andrew Sporle and Tahu Kukutai

 

Australasian Vital Statistics Interest Group (AVSIG) Biennial Conference

ABS, Canberra. 21-22 Nov 2016.

A New Online Epidemiological Tool for Age Standardisation and Population Comparisons with Downloadable Outputs. Andrew Sporle and Alex Stuteley.

 

Māori Association of Social Sciences Biennial Conference.

Victoria University, Wellington. 9-11 November 2016

Indigenous concepts of family in Aotearoa NZ: Findings from Te Kupenga, the 2013 Māori Social Survey. Tahu Kukutai and Andrew Sporle.

 

International Open Data Conference

Madrid.  6-8 October 2016

Data and Māori Development. Kirikowhai Mikaere and Andrew Sporle.

 

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Current memberships: 

Maori Association of Social Scientists (MASS), Australasian Epidemiology Association (AEA), Population Association of America, Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, Sociological Association of Aotearoa / New Zealand (SAANZ), International Sociological Association (ISA), ISA Research Committee on Social Stratification RC28, ISA Research Committee on Sociology of Health RC15

Boards, governance roles, etc:

2018 - current     Executive Member, International Sociological Association Research Committee on Racism, Nationalism, Indigeneity and Ethnicity

2018 - current     Organising Committee, International Sociological Association World Forum of Sociology for the Research Committee on Racism, Nationalism, Indigeneity and Ethnicity

2018 - current     Independent member, Growing Up in New Zealand Steering Committee, Ministry of Social Development

2017 - current     Chair, Māori Health Career Development Awards Review Committee, Health Research Council of New Zealand

2017 - current  Career Development Awards Review Committee, Health Research Council of New Zealand

2017 – 2017  Iwi Classification Review Panel, Statistics NZ

2016 – 2019 Strategic Advisory Group, Ageing Well National Science Challenge

2016 – 2018 Convenor, Kahui Maori, Healthier Lives National Science Challenge

2016 – 2017  Member of the Statistics Act Legislative Review Advisory Group

2016 - 2017  Rangahau Hauora Assessing Committee, Health Research Council of New Zealand

2016 – current Member of the Virtual Health Information Network (VHIN) executive

2016 – current Associate - National Centre for Lifecourse Research, University of Otago

2015 – 2018 Founding Member of Data Strategy Expert Panel of the Independent Maori Statutory Board of Auckland Council

2015 – current Founding Member of Te Mana Raraunga and executive board member

2014 - 2015     Member, NZ Data Futures Forum workshop and advisory group

2013 - 2017     Member, Clinical Trials Assessing Committee. The Health Research Council of New Zealand

2012 - 2016 Advisory Board, Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the Social Sciences (COMPASS), University of Auckland.

2011 - 2013     Co-chair. Programme Grant Assessing Committee. The Health Research Council of New Zealand

2011 – 2016 Member, Public Health Assessing Committee, The Health Research Council of New Zealand

2011 - 2013     Board Member, North Harbour Waterpolo Club.

2010 - 2016     Member, Māori Advisory Group, Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the Social Sciences (COMPASS), University of Auckland.

2009 - 2017     Member, Māori Health Research Grants Review Committee, Health Research Council of New Zealand

2009 – 2013    Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of Statistics, University of Auckland.

2008 – 2011    Member, Māori Health Scholarships and Fellowships Selection Committee, Health Research Council of New Zealand

2007 – 2009    Health Convener, Expert Advisory Panel, North Shore Skill and Employment Project, Enterprise North Shore, North Shore City Council

2007 – 2009    Member, Board of Trustees, Browns Bay School, North Shore City, Auckland.

2006 – 2009    Trustee, North Harbour Community Health and Education Trust

2006 – 2007    Member, Social Research Advisory and Monitoring Board, Environmental and Scientific Research Limited. 

2005 – 2006    Founding Member, New Zealand Social Statistics Network.

2005 – 2006    Convener, Indigenous Statistics Sessions, ASC/NZSA Joint Conference Auckland

2002                Member, Scientific Committee, Australasian Epidemiological Association 11th Annual Scientific Meeting, Wellington.

2001 – 2002    Member, Advisory Board, Māori Chronic Care Workforce Development Programme, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland

1997 – 1998    Member, Pacific Health Research Programme Assessing Committee, The Health Research Council of New Zealand.

1995 – current Research Advisor, Kimihauora Trust, Tauranga.

1995 – 1998    Member, National Management Committee, Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand.

1995 – 1996    Member, National Board of the NZ Association for Adolescent Health

1994 – 1998    Research Advisor, Te Kaha o te Rangitahi Whānau Trust.

1994 – 1994    Convenor, Auckland branch of the NZ Association for Adolescent Health

1991 – 1993    Member, University of Auckland Human Subjects Ethics Committee,

1991 – 1991    Welfare Officer, Auckland University Students Association.