Nicholas Drake is a New Zealand philosopher. On his mother's side, his family is from the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, and before that from England and Ireland. On his father's side, his family is of the Māori tribe Ngāi Tahu and the subtribe Kāti Kuri, of Kaikōura on the East Coast of the South Island, and from England and Ireland. He specializes in ethics and applied social and political philosophy.

Dr. Drake is working under Associate Professor Nick Bainton on a project with ANU’s Vice President (First Nations) and a group of academics from across the university, along with their partners, the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation of the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

Dr. Drake is examining how agreements between extractive industries and Indigenous communities support or undermine economic self-determination, and what shape such agreements need to take if they’re to promote Indigenous peoples’ rights and interests. The project aims to provide the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation with useful resources for dealing with businesses and governments. Dr. Drake also works on measuring and promoting wellbeing, and his doctoral dissertation was on how to conceptualise wellbeing and disability in different practical contexts. He has a particular interest in government measures of national wellbeing.