Applications from court sentencing to conservation are being explored

New Zealand researchers are taking up artificial intelligence in increasingly innovative ways, an editorial in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand has said.

The editorial on 9 February, introducing a special edition of the journal dedicated to the technology, says researchers have used it in work ranging from medical imaging to earthquake prediction.

“With world-leading researchers and practitioners, Aotearoa New Zealand is playing an important role in the global AI community,” the guest editors wrote.

Agriculture applications are particularly significant given that “many traditional methods used by farmers are either too costly in human labour or not sufficiently productive”.

“AI provides great opportunities and potentials for boosting the efficiency and productivity of agriculture in a sustainable and safe way…AI technologies have also been used in addressing various environmental problems, where examples include AI for climate change, biodiversity, conservation, weather forecast and disaster resiliency.”

New Zealand is building environmental datasets that could be used in AI-driven conservation research.

Legal sentencing

The special edition also examines the potential for AI’s use in legal sentencing. It says that while AI might help sentences become more consistent across the system, risks include “the opacity and incomplete explainability of the algorithm, the risk of bias in the training dataset (because of the method of collection or, importantly in New Zealand, the entrenched pattern of historical bias) and the risk of ‘automation bias’, so the outcome in which judges would be willing to rely on the AI recommendation without analysing it further”.

The three editors are from Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Canterbury.

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Politics and interest groups are trumping science in biodiversity battle, researchers find

New Zealand’s conservation efforts are “unbalanced”, a study has found.

The paper, published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology on 17 February, found that a strong focus on predator animals came at the expense of other threats, such as hoofed animals. It said that government agencies did not always rely on science when making decisions.

“Changes are required to provide adequate, stable funding, improve clarity around goals, leadership, responsibilities and accountabilities, strengthen planning and prioritisation of management actions, and coordinate management among various conservation actors,” the paper said.

While reviewing New Zealand’s conservation system, “we became increasingly concerned at the degree to which ecological research has often been a passive responder, focusing on the impacts of narrow groupings of invasive mammals in response to sociopolitical drivers, rather than offering long-term, whole-system viewpoints”, the researchers wrote.

Research tended to be “single discipline”. “Inter- and transdisciplinary, cross-cutting ecosystem ecology and mātauranga Māori [Māori knowledge] have been chronically underfunded for decades.”

Longstanding shortcomings

Co-author John Leathwick, a conservation science consultant, said that a project aimed at assessing the effects of wild deer had transitioned into an examination of national priorities, including in research.

He said they had identified challenges including “coordinating management effort among growing numbers of groups and individuals involved in conservation; the sometimes undue influence exerted by particular interest groups; the growing dislocation between key aspects of conservation policy and management and a large body of Aotearoa New Zealand and international science; and our failure to adequately measure what biodiversity gains our pest management activities are actually delivering”.

His co-author was Andrea Byrom, a former director of New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge.  

Commenting on the paper, University of Auckland conservation biologist James Russell said it highlighted “longstanding shortcomings in the governance of biodiversity in New Zealand, and in particular the urgent need to reform wildlife law”.

“Ultimately, more systematic planning of conservation incorporating ecological science could only benefit biodiversity and societal aspirations in New Zealand,” Russell said.

University of Canterbury emeritus professor Dave Kelly said the study was a reminder that New Zealand’s Predator Free 2050 strategy omitted “politically more delicate” feral animals such as pigs and cats.

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This week: an Endeavour extension, Horizon Europe access and struggling museums

In depth: New Zealand’s conservation efforts are “unbalanced”, a study has found.

Full story: Conservation strategy in New Zealand ‘unbalanced’, study says

Also this week from Research Professional News

Help us, universities tell incoming education minister Tinetti—Formal briefing outlines cost pressures on New Zealand’s higher education sector

Horizon Europe opens to researchers in New Zealand—Researchers can now apply to lead consortia under R&D programme’s second pillar

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

Endeavour extended

Applications to New Zealand’s Endeavour Fund have been extended to 8 March because of the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle. The fund announced the move on 21 February, saying that consideration of applications would be delayed as a result. It encouraged applicants who are able to submit earlier to do so.

Horizon opens

New Zealand researchers are now able to apply to the EU’s Horizon Europe research fund. Access to the second pillar of the fund opened on 17 February for proposals due in March or April. A statement from New Zealand science minister Ayesha Verrall said that this pillar “focuses on science that addresses major global challenges, such as climate change, energy and health and addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals”. Verrall said it was a transitional arrangement until final documents between New Zealand and the EU could be signed. Horizon is currently running in-person workshops for researchers interested in applying.

Museums struggling

New Zealand’s large collecting institutions are “vulnerable” because of poor funding, a report for the national umbrella body Museums Aotearoa has said. The report, by the consultancy Business and Economic Research Limited, was released in late 2022. It said that museums and galleries contributed around NZ$272 million to the nation’s GDP annually and hold around NZ$3.6 billion worth of assets. Museums Aotearoa chief executive Adele Fitzpatrick said that funding of institutions should move away from the current “headcount at the door” model.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 16-22 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

Researchers can now apply to lead consortia under R&D programme’s second pillar

Researchers in New Zealand can now apply to the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme in line with the association deal struck last year.

The development means researchers in the country are eligible to apply for funding directly from the programme and to lead proposals for collaborative projects.

“I am glad to share the news that New Zealand researchers and organisations are now able to apply as prospective beneficiaries in pillar 2 Horizon Europe calls,” tweeted Signe Ratso, a senior European Commission official, on 17 February.

Pillar 2 of the programme focuses on industrial competitiveness and on societal challenges such as climate change.

Pending formal completion of New Zealand’s association deal, applications will be considered under a transitional agreement. Association gives non-EU countries access to Horizon Europe on near-equal terms with the bloc’s member states.

New Zealand is the first country outside the European near neighbourhood to agree association to the programme.

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Formal briefing outlines cost pressures on New Zealand’s higher education sector

Universities New Zealand has asked incoming education minister Jan Tinetti to urgently address financial issues in the sector.

In a formal briefing paper, the vice-chancellors’ group said it wanted a chance to talk to Tinetti as she prepared policies for the upcoming national election.

The paper on 10 February emphasised universities’ contribution to research in New Zealand, especially basic research. A quarter of all research takes place in universities and around three-quarters of the national research workforce is university trained, it said.

“University research returns around NZ$5.10 for every dollar invested,” it said, but rising costs are hitting the sector hard. “Over the past 15 years, university operating costs have risen around 68 per cent during a time when the Consumer Price Index rose just 36 per cent.”

Challenges for the sector include decreases in per-student funding in real terms, the continued impact of the costs of the pandemic, and the long tail of missing students who did not arrive in 2021 and 2022. However, applications from first-year international students are “in line with pre-Covid numbers”, the group told Tinetti.

Most universities are also dealing with problems in meeting the pay expectations of staff, it said. “We are not seeking government involvement in salary negotiations, but we do need financial support in budget 2023 to ensure our universities can continue to retain the people that underpin our ability to deliver world-class teaching and research.”

Priorities

The briefing said that universities supported the government’s stated priorities on Te Tiriti issues, student safety and retention and greater inclusivity, but that these had come without additional funding. “The sector needs real and substantial investment if real and substantial additional value is to be delivered,” it said. Te Tiriti, or the Treaty of Waitangi, contains principles for the protection of Māori culture.

The briefing also asked for better support for postgraduate students and for formal industry placement programmes, including an industry PhD programme, and a new national fellowship scheme for early career researchers.

New Zealand’s 2023 budget is due in May, with the exact date yet to be announced, while the election is set for 14 October.

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State of emergency sends staff and students home from universities

Several New Zealand universities have closed their campuses because of the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, with the government declaring a national state of emergency.

On 14 February, the University of Auckland announced a week-long closure, but by 15 February it said conditions would allow it to reopen on 16 February. Most staff have been working from home, and some teaching and examinations have been moved online. The university is offering students counselling if they have been distressed by the disaster.

Strong winds and flooding caused by the cyclone have disrupted the beginning of New Zealand’s academic year, with classes due to start on 20 or 27 February.

Massey University said that its crisis management team had decided to close its Manawatū campus, which was without power for an unknown period. Some of Massey’s summer semester students were due for examinations this week.

Massey’s Auckland campus was closed on 13 and 14 February but suffered “no significant damage”, a university statement said. However, widespread power and transport disruptions meant staff were “strongly encouraged” to work from home for the week if possible.

Several of Massey’s ancillary services and the library are operating on limited hours. The cyclone follows serious flooding issues at Massey in late January. High winds and other impacts are expected to continue for several more days.

Auckland University of Technology also closed on 13 and 14 February, with on-campus activities due to resume on 16 February.

In recognition of the impact the cyclone has had on researchers, the Marsden Fund has extended the deadline for its 2023 expressions of interest to 20 February.

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This week: Tertiary Education Union priorities, RNA advances and synthetic biology

In depth: Several New Zealand universities have closed their campuses because of the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, with the government declaring a national state of emergency.

Full story: Campuses close as Cyclone Gabrielle hits New Zealand

Also this week from Research Professional News

Give us three examples of excellence, PBRF proposal says—Consultation paper on New Zealand’s Performance-Based Research Fund outlines changes to evidence portfolios

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

TEU sets out agenda

The Tertiary Education Union has said it will be “stepping up” its campaign for pay equity in the university sector this year. The union also offered “warm congratulations” to new prime minister Chris Hipkins, saying it had had a “largely constructive” relationship with him during his time as education minister over the past five years. “We hope that as prime minister, he will not only keep tertiary education at the forefront of his mind as the key to so many of our country’s challenges and opportunities but also ensure that he finishes what he started.”

Malaghan forges ahead on RNA

New Zealand is moving towards greater capacity to work with RNA technologies after the Covid-19 pandemic boosted interest, the Malaghan Institute has said. “Significant donor funding” and support from the Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand have enabled the medical research institute to upgrade its RNA technologies so it can “now carry out all the steps to develop an RNA-based therapy—from designing a template for a unique target, synthesising the RNA molecules and packing them for safe delivery to the body”. RNA research will also benefit from a national RNA platform announced in the 2022 budget, Malaghan says.

Biotechnology push

“Old regulations” may be hampering New Zealand’s ability to research new biotechnologies, the executive director of BioTech New Zealand has said. Zahra Champion said “synthetic biology” would be a key topic at BioTechNZ’s March conference and that “we need to finally accept genetic modification products in a world of climate change and desperate global food needs”. Champion also said that Emily Parker, associate dean of science research at Victoria University of Wellington, will address the conference on her work in creating “bioactive” substances using synthetic processes that mimic natural biology.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 9-15 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

Consultation paper on New Zealand’s Performance-Based Research Fund outlines changes to evidence portfolios

The Tertiary Education Commission has agreed in principle that researchers’ evidence portfolios for the Performance-Based Research Fund should only contain three “examples of research excellence”.

The commission, which is carrying out a review of the fund, has published a consultation paper saying it agrees with the idea of streamlined evidence portfolios and a new “narrative” component to explain the arc of a researcher’s output over time.

The fund, which distributes NZ$315 million a year, is one of the key sources of university research funding, and university research rankings affect the level of funding each university gets. Other factors include research degrees awarded and external research funding won.

The latest consultation paper is part of a process going back to late 2021, with all aspects of the assessment open for review.

The review has already chosen a new definition of ‘research’; incorporated a statement on “the value of Māori research and Pacific research”, giving greater weighting to such research; and adopted in principle new definitions of ‘excellence’, including contributions to the wider research environment.

Defined circumstances

Part-time researchers, “new and emerging” researchers and those affected by certain defined circumstances will be permitted to submit fewer examples of “excellent” research. The defined circumstances include interruptions to employment and “force majeure” events such as the pandemic or the Canterbury earthquake.

Evaluation panels will continue to be able to take into account the “platform of research”, which gives information about features such as interdisciplinary research. However, part-time employment will now be covered by a separate “achievement relative to opportunity” provision.

Comment is open until 24 February. The next round of assessment is expected to be in 2026.

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This week: Covid underreporting, Chinese students, abusive messages and a new vice-chancellor

In depth: Māori research is to get up to NZ$10 million a year in additional funding with the announcement of two new contestable funds.

Full story: Two funds launched to build Māori research capacity

Also this week from Research Professional News

National Science Challenges start to wind down—Reports from land and biological heritage challenges emphasise achievements of New Zealand research networks

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

Covid underreported at university

A University of Otago study has suggested that New Zealand university students may have underreported their rate of Covid infections last year. The study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, found that there was “considerable underreporting” at the university. Out of 444 cases of students having Covid, only around 60 per cent of the students reported infections to the university, and around two-thirds uploaded their positive test results to the national My Covid Record system.

Chinese students returning

Universities New Zealand has said that the country’s universities are “looking forward to” the imminent return of Chinese international students. The Chinese government has ordered its students to return immediately to on-campus study, saying it will not recognise overseas qualifications gained online. A UNZ spokesperson said the decision meant that “the deadline is tighter than we might have expected, but our universities will be working individually and collectively with students and New Zealand and Chinese government agencies to make the transition as smooth as possible…The Chinese government is mindful of the logistics involved for its students to return in time for semester one and is providing flexibility around this. Students should check if this is necessary for their particular situation.”

Academic hits back

A Massey University researcher has slammed what she says are “abusive messages” impinging on her academic freedom. Suze Wilson, an expert on political leadership, made several public statements about the departure of prime minister Jacinda Ardern and how Ardern had been treated. In an editorial for the Tertiary Education Union, she said the responses from some other academics had been “upsetting and disappointing” in their tone. “I’ve seen some pretty harsh peer reviews, but never such insulting and disrespectful language,” she wrote. “If as academics we expect our employers and the government to ensure that our rights to academic freedom are protected, it also seems to be the case that, for some of us, that work starts by taking a good, hard look at our own behaviour.”

Smith takes over at VUW

Nic Smith has commenced his role as vice-chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington. Smith, whose most recent role was provost at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, was previously dean of engineering at the University of Auckland. On taking up the reins on 16 January, Smith said he wanted to “advance the relevance” of the university. “I believe that high-quality research and teaching must be relevant for, and trusted by, the communities we serve.”

The post New Zealand news roundup: 2-8 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

New Zealand government to provide NZ$10 million a year to develop Māori engagement with science

Māori research is to get up to NZ$10 million a year in additional funding with the announcement of two new contestable funds.

The funds, called He Tipu Ka Hua and He Aka Ka Toro, will offer funding to “build Māori research capacity, capability and aspirations over the next five years”. Administered through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, they will open to Māori organisations in April and July this year.

They will be partly bankrolled by unspent funds from a 2020 budget initiative called Expanding the Impact of Vision Mātauranga. That initiative had an allocation of NZ$33m.

The He Tipu Ka Hua fund will support “up to three Māori-led research programmes or platforms”, according to a statement on 7 February from science minister Ayesha Verrall. It will be worth up to NZ$6m a year. He Aka Ka Toro is earmarked for Māori organisations to develop their policies on engagement with the research system.

Verrall said the government would also develop a set of fellowships for early-to-mid-career Māori and Pacific researchers, called Ngā Puanga Pūtaiao, with priority for science, technology, engineering and mathematics researchers. That programme will be run through the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Future Pathways

Verrall said the funds were part of the Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways funding reforms. The reforms are still open for public comment after the release of a white paper in December.

The New Zealand Association of Scientists tweeted that the funds would support “researchers and organisations destabilised by both precarity and double-duty, and prioritised within Te Ara Paerangi [Future Pathways] as a result”.

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Reports from land and biological heritage challenges emphasise achievements of New Zealand research networks

New Zealand’s National Science Challenges are entering the wind-up phase, with their funding due to expire in 2024.

A total of 11 National Science Challenges were established in 2014 for a 10-year period, to bring together the country’s top scientists to tackle the biggest science-based issues. The ongoing Future Pathways science funding review has not suggested extending their duration.

The annual report of the Our Land and Water challenge shows it is preparing to complete its work. It will use the coming year to “complete its pivot to creating optimum impact from previous and current research outcomes”.

“Residual strategic research funds will be used to support impact extension, address emergent research issues and develop stakeholder capabilities in the application of Our Land and Water tools.”

Our Land and Water launched 19 research projects in 2022. One of those was its “final major research programme” Revitalise Te Taiao, which is investigating ways of driving changes in land use.

The land and water challenge, hosted by the Landcare Crown Research Institute, reported that “over 50 per cent of current research” is “Māori-centric or kaupapa Māori [Māori worldview] research”.

Māori knowledge

Also based at Landcare, the Biological Heritage challenge worked with 18 institutions and created more than 100 publications and reports in 2022. Projects carried out during the year included the application of Māori knowledge to diseased kauri trees.

Participant Jamie Ataria said in the challenge’s annual report that “the research, science and innovation process here in Aotearoa New Zealand has effectively been closed to Māori for many years”. He called on researchers to start to accept mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) as “legitimate”.

In 2022, the Healthier Lives challenge released a study of the use of research in New Zealand’s health system. It concluded that the links between research, policy and practice needed strengthening.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has been contacted for comment on the challenges’ future.

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New prime minister announces ministerial changes, with Ayesha Verrall retaining the science and research portfolio

New Zealand has appointed new ministers in two of its key research portfolios.

In a reshuffle on 31 January, prime minister Chris Hipkins filled his own former position of education minister with Jan Tinetti (pictured, left). Tinetti, a former schoolteacher with a master’s degree in education, had been acting in the role since 23 January.

Ayesha Verrall (pictured, right) replaces Andrew Little as health minister, having previously served as associate health minister. The move is a promotion for Verrall, who is now ranked eighth in the Labour government. She will retain the science and research portfolio, in a positive sign for continuity in the current research funding reform process.

Verrall replaced Megan Woods on science and research in June 2022.

Hipkins said that as an infectious diseases specialist, Verrall “brings almost 20 years of knowledge of how our health system works and how it can be improved”.

Cheryl de la Rey, chair of Universities New Zealand and vice-chancellor of the University of Canterbury, said: “We look forward to working with minister Tinetti and ensuring we have a university system that delivers the greatest possible value for our students and our country.”

The post Tinetti takes education and Verrall takes health in NZ reshuffle appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: Antarctic research, Covid impacts and light pollution

In depth: New Zealand has appointed new ministers in two of its key research portfolios.

Full story: Tinetti takes education and Verrall takes health in NZ reshuffle

Also this week from Research Professional News

Royal Society of New Zealand consults on long-term direction—Goals and operation for next 20 years under review

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

Drill arrives for Antarctic project

Antarctica New Zealand says it has reached a “milestone” with the arrival of a new drill rig. The rig is part of a project researching how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will respond to global warming. It will be used to help recover samples from beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, in a location never before investigated.

More Covid-19 research needed

New Zealand must continue to fund research into the impact of Covid-19 on Māori communities, a report has said. The national report on the impact of the pandemic, carried out for the Ministry of Health and released in January, says research should include the impact of lockdowns. The report also says that many people with long Covid “wanted their doctors to be proactive about finding out more” on the condition.  

Keep the stars, petition says

A University of Canterbury professor has launched a parliamentary petition to protect the view of the night sky. John Hearnshaw, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand, told the New Zealand Herald that he wanted to see limits on light pollution at night. His petition has been backed by the astronomical society.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 26 January to 1 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

Goals and operation for next 20 years under review

New Zealand’s Royal Society Te Apārangi has launched a consultation process to create “a new long-term strategic direction” for the next 20 years.

It has engaged the consultancy MartinJenkins to guide the process, which includes a survey of members’ views.

In April 2022, the society faced a revolt of 70 of its fellows over the treatment of three fellows who had raised issues about the teaching of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) as science in New Zealand schools. A reform motion at that time, accusing the society of giving insufficient heed to its fellows, failed to pass.

Royal Society president Brent Clothier did not mention that unrest when he announced the consultation, but he said the society was “future-proofing ourselves to remain relevant to our membership and the country over the coming decades”.

The review covers six themes: the society’s formal role under its founding act, biculturalism, its culture, the expectations of members and fellows, its relevance, and the scope of its work.

The survey asks members whether the Royal Society’s role is sufficiently broad or too broad, and what specific activities will keep it relevant. Non-members with a stake in the society’s operations have also been invited to contribute.

The survey closes on 17 February.

Open-access agreement

In another development, the Royal Society has signed an open-access agreement for six major journals.

Under the deal, struck with the Council of Australian University Librarians and the Council of New Zealand University Librarians, researchers from New Zealand universities will pay no charge for publishing open access in society journals. These include the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research and the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics.

Researchers covered by the agreement will be able to access publications from 1997 up to the present on the website of publisher Taylor and Francis.

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Issues with national database of research and expertise “require additional time to address”

An online research information system being developed by New Zealand’s government has been hit by another delay.

The New Zealand Research Information System now has a long-awaited public interface, but it is yet to go live.

The system has been in development since 2016, following a recommendation in a report on the country’s research and innovation. In 2021, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it would be launched in 2022. It is intended to act as a central registry of research underway in New Zealand, as well as a database of available expertise. It will initially include all publicly funded research, with plans to extend to the private sector.

A December update said that initial development had been completed and testing was underway.

‘A number of issues’

Dafydd Davies, science and innovation manager at the ministry, said the delay was due to “a number of issues that now require additional time and effort to address”. The issues emerged during testing of the system late last year.

The ministry “is committed to creating a user-friendly and reliable research information system that works correctly; therefore, these issues need to be rectified before the public launch of the system”, Davies told Research Professional News.

The interface being tested would “provide access to basic visualisations of the public dataset and the downloadable data file”, Davies said.

Some parts of the system, such as a database on Covid-19 research, are already publicly available.

The post New Zealand Research Information System delayed again appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: narrative CVs, a wildlife AI app and a court order on redundancies

In depth: An online research information system being developed by New Zealand’s government has been hit by another delay.

Full story: NZ Research Information System delayed again

Also this week from Research Professional News

Education minister replaces Ardern as Labour Party leader—Chris Hipkins to be formally sworn in as New Zealand’s prime minister this week

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

Narrative CVs introduced

The Endeavour Fund’s move to “narrative CVs” for grant applications takes effect this year. New Zealand’s national scientific research fund, which will provide up to NZ$57 million in 2023, announced the change last year in an effort to increase diversity and assist researchers with career interruptions and other issues affecting their work. The change includes a “broader definition” of what it means to be an academic. The fund is running online workshops during February to help researchers prepare their CVs.

AUT redundancy programme told to restart

Auckland University of Technology has been ordered to restart its redundancy programme. An action in the Employment Court, brought by the Tertiary Education Union, has resulted in the university being ordered to start from scratch. Before a new redundancy process can begin, AUT must follow an existing collective agreement with staff and identify surplus positions. The redundancy process began in September, with the aim of saving around NZ$21 million. The union alleged in court that the process made “selections addressing personal attributes of the holders of positions”, which the university denied.  

Wildlife research gets AI app

Researchers at the Universities of Waikato and Canterbury have used artificial intelligence to create a free identification app for native flora and fauna. The Aotearoa Species Classifier app has been trained on existing collections. It uses photos or device cameras to offer a “probable” identification of a plant or animal. It was developed by a science data partnership between the universities, along with Landcare Research.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 19-25 January appeared first on Research Professional News.

Chris Hipkins to be formally sworn in as New Zealand’s prime minister this week

The elevation of New Zealand’s education minister Chris Hipkins to Labour Party leader has given universities hope of a voice “at the very top”.

Hipkins was elected to the Labour leadership unopposed on 22 January after the surprise resignation of incumbent Jacinda Ardern. He is now set to become prime minister and is expected to lead the party in the next general election on 14 October. The replacement education minister is yet to be named.

Universities New Zealand, which represents all eight of the country’s universities, pointed out that Hipkins had held the education portfolio in government and opposition for a combined 10 years.

UNZ chair Cheryl de la Rey said that Hipkins had “an in-depth understanding of the critical role New Zealand’s eight universities play as core infrastructure”.

However, she told Research Professional News that “to fulfil our full potential, it is imperative the government increases its support so we can overcome the constraints imposed by long-term inadequate funding. This, as Mr Hipkins knows, remains a priority for the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee and Universities New Zealand—Te Pōkai Tara.”

“We have greatly appreciated Mr Hipkins’s hard work, support and engagement with us in the education portfolio. We look forward to continuing our relationship with him as appropriate in his new role and to a similar relationship with his successor,” De la Rey said.

The New Zealand Association of Scientists said that it thanked Ardern for her time as prime minister. “We’ll remember and cherish her focus on kindness and making science the heart of decision-making during the pandemic,” the group said.

Experience

Hipkins is a career politician, having been in parliament for 15 years and having worked as a political adviser before that. He is currently the most senior minister in the education portfolio, having been education spokesperson when Labour was in opposition. He has overseen the rebuilding of the international education sector, pushing universities for “high quality” over numbers.

He was minister of health for around six months in 2020, and until mid-2022 he was the minister responsible for New Zealand’s Covid-19 response. As well as education, his current responsibilities include the police.

Hipkins is expected to be formally sworn in on 25 January and to announce his new ministerial lineup shortly afterwards, including the next minister for education.

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Outgoing Universities New Zealand chair calls for more recognition of higher education’s “crucial role”

New Zealand’s support for universities has been disappointing during the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the outgoing chair of Universities New Zealand has said.

Jan Thomas (pictured), who is also vice-chancellor of Massey University, wrote in an editorial that universities were “constantly disappointed by successive governments’ failure” to adequately fund the sector.

She wrote that universities had demonstrated their “crucial role” in the economy, health, culture and social issues, but that this was not reflected in financial support.

On the 2022 budget, Thomas wrote: “Research and teaching in our universities are major contributors to almost every spending priority…yet were barely mentioned.”

A 15-year increase of 80 per cent in operating costs has not been matched by Student Achievement Component funding—the government’s contribution towards the cost of teaching and learning—which has increased by only 50 per cent, she wrote. Recent increases have also failed to keep pace with inflation.

This has been exacerbated by border closures and the other effects of Covid-19, she wrote, and it will take “several years” for the sector to recover.

“Universities New Zealand continues to press the government to better invest in our universities. If it is a time we need universities more than ever, it is a time we more than ever need the government to listen.”

“We are trainers of most of the country’s researchers and home to nearly 60 per cent of them. This is why we expect to be key contributors to the major overhaul of the research, science and innovation system promised in the government’s new Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways white paper.”

Thomas, who was writing in December, has now left her position as chair of Universities New Zealand, with Cheryl de la Rey, vice-chancellor of the University of Canterbury, taking over for the next two years.

Rising costs

In another editorial, also published late last year, the group’s chief executive Chris Whelan defended universities’ reluctance to grant pay rises to staff. He cited the legal requirement to return a surplus, low international student numbers, delayed research projects and rising infrastructure costs.

“Universities are all taking decisions necessary to successfully get through the next three to four years—a period when costs are expected to keep rising rapidly and there are few realistic options for increasing income to compensate,” Whelan wrote.

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This week: tributes to a late academic, R&D tax breaks and a health council rejig

In depth: New Zealand’s support for universities has been disappointing during the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the outgoing chair of Universities New Zealand has said.

Full story: NZ universities ‘disappointed’ by government support

Also this week from Research Professional News

Clinical trials overhaul on the way in New Zealand—Ministry of Health promises changes after trials system slammed

2023: Five things to watch in Australia and New Zealand—Researchers should watch Australia’s ARC review and New Zealand’s changes to its systems

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

McCutcheon remembered

Leading academic Stuart McCutcheon has been remembered as a contributor to New Zealand’s higher education and research landscape. McCutcheon, who died of a heart attack on 6 January, served as vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland for 15 years until his retirement in 2020, and he previously held positions and conducted research at several New Zealand and international universities. He also served terms as chair and deputy chair of the vice-chancellors’ group Universities New Zealand. UNZ chief executive Chris Whelan said McCutcheon “was held in great esteem and appreciation by fellow vice-chancellors and other colleagues for his incisiveness and robust advocacy on behalf of not only the two universities he led but the sector as a whole”. The University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington also issued statements mourning McCutcheon.

R&D tax breaks brought forward

New Zealand’s R&D tax break scheme is to pay businesses back before the end of the financial year as part of an “in year” arrangement. The new arrangement was confirmed by the innovation agency Callaghan Innovation in late 2022 and will be available early this year. Callaghan said that the tax scheme had already supported more than NZ$1.3 billion in R&D. Callaghan has also issued guidelines on the eligibility of digital research projects.

Health Research Council rejig

The Health Research Council of New Zealand has said that it will continue to redesign its funding structure over the coming year. In an end-of-year newsletter in December, the council said it had redesigned its Health Delivery Research fund, the Independent Research Organisation Fund and the Ngā Kanohi Kitea Community Advancement Fund in line with the “New Zealand Health Research Strategy and the New Zealand Health Research Prioritisation Framework, and to reflect our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and achieving health equity”. There will be more changes to funding systems in the second half of 2023, the council said.

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Ministry of Health promises changes after trials system slammed

Clinical trials in New Zealand are to be reformed following a critical report to government.

According to the Enhancing Aotearoa New Zealand Clinical Trials report, current practice does not provide equity in trials, and trials using publicly funded infrastructure may not be meeting the needs of all New Zealanders.

The country’s health system lacks “a strong research culture” and could be hampering research, it said, calling for a new national leadership centre for trials, along with four regional centres and development of better networks.

Outside Health Research Council-supported activity, funders rarely consider whether their research will “reduce inequities and bring benefits for New Zealanders”, the report said.

The report, written by independent experts and released in December, followed an 18-month process funded by the Ministry of Health and the HRC. It found that the country “does not invest as effectively as it could, and should, in clinical trial research”.

There is a clear lack of Indigenous priorities, with few trials taking place in Māori health settings and none in Pacific settings. Consumers are rarely involved, and the networks that support research are effective but “fragile”.

System-level changes

In response, the Ministry of Health said there would be “system-level changes” to the way health bodies dealt with research. The ministry’s statement acknowledged the report’s recommendation that a national leadership centre be established, but it did not commit to the change. New Zealand is still bedding down its newly reformed health system, in which research has not been a top priority.

The health ministry said that together with Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), it was “establishing a senior cross-agency working group to consider how the recommendations can be integrated within the health system, with each agency appointing a lead for the work”.

Limited capacity

The report was written by researchers from the Universities of Auckland and Otago. Frank Bloomfield, director of Auckland’s Liggins Institute, said that too many people were missing out on the opportunity to take part in trials and receive the benefits.

“Outside of large research groups or large, research-intensive hospitals, of which there are not many, there is limited capacity or resource to support clinical trials taking place or even participation in, for example, a larger national or international trial.”

While the report focused on clinical trials, the authors said the field was a “barometer” for health research generally. They wrote that their recommendations around “improving research leadership, knowledge translation or data governance” should be applied to the wider health research system.

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This week: gender pay gaps and health research projects

In depth: New Zealand has reached a deal with the EU on associating to the bloc’s research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. It is the first country outside Europe or its near neighbourhood to ever agree such a deal, which offers access to EU R&I programmes on almost equal terms with the bloc’s member states in exchange for a budget contribution.

Full story: New Zealand secures Horizon Europe association deal

Also this week from Research Professional News

AUT forced to backtrack on redundancies—Auckland University of Technology withdraws redundancy notices after ruling by Employment Relations Authority

Strong showing for New Zealand researchers in new year honours—Māori astronomy researcher honoured alongside Covid-19 experts and many others 

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

Gender pay gap widens at education ministry

The Ministry of Education’s gender pay gap increased slightly in 2022, reaching 17.8 per cent versus 17.4 per cent in 2021. The pay gap is the average salary of men minus the average salary of women, divided by the former. The slight increase comes after years of steady improvement, with the gap in 2015 standing at 26.4 per cent. Announcing the figures last month, the ministry said it was “committed to closing any gender and ethnic pay gaps” and that “when we look at gender pay gaps for similar roles we find…gender pay gaps within remuneration bands are small”.

Healthcare delivery projects share NZ$13.5m

The Health Research Council of New Zealand is providing more than NZ$13.5 million to 43 researchers working on healthcare delivery, it said on 20 December. Projects backed by the funding include nutrition guidelines for babies, reducing opioid use and exploring assisted dying services. Work supported by the HRC’s Health Delivery Research investment round should “directly contribute to improved healthcare delivery by informing decisions or changes to policy, practice or systems in the New Zealand health and disability sector”, says the funder.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 15 December to 11 January appeared first on Research Professional News.

Auckland University of Technology withdraws redundancy notices after ruling by New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority

Auckland University of Technology has had to withdraw redundancy notices issued to scores of staff after a ruling by New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority.

The ruling last month is a victory for the Tertiary Education Union, which claimed that the university’s attempt to make up to 80 staff redundant breached an employment agreement.

Union organiser Jill Jones said in a statement that it had been “an arduous and distressing few months” and that it was “sad that it’s taken a legal battle for AUT to do what we have been trying to tell them they had to do from the outset”.

The university said on 22 December 2022 that it had told 80 employees who had received notice of termination that the notices had been suspended. It said it was now clear that it should have provided a list of specific positions that were “surplus to requirements” and the names of the position holders as part of a major organisational overhaul.

It said it had “previously interpreted the Collective Employment Agreement differently and chosen not to identify individuals by name”.

“We are sorry that our attempts to respect the privacy of individuals, by not listing them, has resulted in this breach and the additional uncertainty,” said the institution’s vice-chancellor, Damon Salesa.

According to the Employment Relations Authority ruling, the university started a major overhaul of its organisation in September 2022, due to the impact of the pandemic on its income from student fees and government funding. It hoped to cut costs by $21 million or more and reduce staff numbers. 

“The scale is unprecedented for AUT. As well as academic staff who are members of the TEU and represented by their union in this application, many others are affected or likely to be,” states the ruling.

The ruling adds, “The staff cuts are wide and deep. Academic staff are often highly qualified in their field and over time they have accumulated considerable skills and experience to enable appointment to the positions held. In some cases, the opportunities severed staff have for re-employment in Auckland or even in New Zealand will be limited by the specialist nature of the teaching and research they have been employed in, and by the relatively small number of tertiary institutions in New Zealand with positions similar to those the staff had with AUT.”

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Māori astronomy researcher honoured alongside Covid-19 experts and many others

Researchers have featured strongly in New Zealand’s latest new year honours list, claiming rewards for work on Māori culture, medicine and other disciplines.

Rangi Matamua was made Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work on Māori astronomy, star lore and Māori culture. Matamua works at Massey University’s School of Māori Knowledge. In 2019 he became the first Māori to win the prime minister’s Science Prize and was last year made the government’s chief advisor Mātauranga Matariki.

Other academics honoured included the University of Auckland’s Helen Danesh-Meyer, the first female professor of ophthalmology in New Zealand and only the second female professor in any surgical speciality in the country. Danesh-Meyer was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Edwina Pio, of the Auckland University of Technology, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Pio is New Zealand’s first and currently only professor of diversity.

Those who have shaped government policy were also honoured.

Ashley Bloomfield, director-general of health from 2018 until 2022, was made a Knight Companion for his work managing the public health response to Covid.

Joanne Gibbs, national director of the Covid-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Programme, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Among the other recipients were Jan Wright, former parliamentary commissioner for the environment who provided advice for government on issues including fracking and fisheries, and plant scientist Bruce Campbell, currently director of Horticulture New Zealand.

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Opportunities for collaboration welcomed but Horizon Europe should be even more open, groups say

A landmark deal that would give New Zealand improved access to the EU’s research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, has received mixed reactions from the research sector.

Academic representatives have praised the opportunity for closer collaboration that will be provided by the association agreement, which is the first ever with a country distant from the European region.

Association to EU R&I programmes enables access for researchers and organisations based in countries outside the bloc on almost equal terms as those of EU member states, in exchange for a budget contribution.

Currently, New Zealand-based researchers can participate in only a restricted set of EU grant types, and only in a limited capacity. They may also have to use their own funding.

The new deal will enable more and easier collaboration, but the sector is unhappy about the scope of the new deal, which is limited to the second pillar of Horizon Europe, focused on global challenges and industrial competitiveness.

Mixed reaction from New Zealand

Troy Baisden, the co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists, said his country can benefit from Pillar II funding in areas it has strengths, including research supporting the Antarctic Treaty and health. The deal “must be seen as good news”, he said.

But he added that his group had wanted access to the first pillar of Horizon Europe, which supports fundamental research, and to the third pillar, which focuses on innovation and would have connected the country to a “much larger innovation ecosystem”.

Research Professional News has previously reported that the European Commission prevented New Zealand and nearby Australia from negotiating a deal on these other pillars, basing its stance in part on an internal analysis of the benefits that has not been made public.

“We hope New Zealand’s alignment with missions in Horizons Europe Pillar II serves as a pathway for better funding and connectivity with the other pillars and additional international collaboration agreements,” Baisden said.

A group representing New Zealand’s eight universities also said the deal was beneficial, but called for more. Chris Whelan, chief executive of Universities New Zealand—Te Pōkai Tar, described the deal as a “milestone agreement of huge importance”.

He told Research Professional News: “We totally understand and respect the European Commission’s wishes for Pillar I.” But he added: “We hope that in the future there may be opportunities for New Zealand and the European Commission to talk further about Pillar III.”

Support within Europe 

European university representatives agreed that the association will be beneficial, and looked forward to the conclusion of similar deals with the likes of Australia and Canada. But they also pushed for these deals to be broader, and said European countries should not be neglected.

“I urge the EU institutions to associate as many excellent and like-minded [non-EU] countries as possible,” said Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer group of science and technology universities. 

But he added: “I think association should be pursued with all of Horizon Europe, following the example of ‘making the cake bigger’, ie [non-EU] countries pay into the overall budget what they ‘get out’, thus increasing the overall budget and impact of Horizon Europe to everyone’s benefit.”

The deal came despite the EU continuing to refuse Horizon Europe association to two near neighbours with whom it has had longstanding research and innovation ties but is currently having political disagreements—namely Switzerland and the UK. 

Jan Palmowski, secretary general of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, said the New Zealand deal was “excellent news” and that it would be “fantastic to strengthen our collaborations with researchers from a country with very strong universities, to tackle our common challenges”.

“This will also send a strong signal to other strong R&I countries worldwide, that Horizon Europe is open for business,” he said, while adding: “Association with New Zealand and other new R&I partners must be complementary, not a replacement, to finding an agreement with our close neighbours.”

Announcing the agreement on 20 December, the Commission said it is now pending formal sign-off by both sides. New Zealand’s innovation ministry said on 21 December that it hoped the country will become associated to Horizon Europe in early 2023.

The ministry advised researchers to get ready, saying: “In anticipation of association, New Zealand researchers and organisations should start to form consortia and prepare projects to bid into the January-March 2023 Horizon Europe application window.”

A version of this article appeared in Research Europe

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First ever distant country to agree association to EU R&D programme will join second pillar

New Zealand has reached a deal with the EU on associating to the bloc’s research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe.

It is the first country outside Europe or its near neighbourhood to ever agree such a deal, which offers access to EU R&I programmes on almost equal terms with the bloc’s member states in exchange for a budget contribution.

For New Zealand, such association will be limited to the second pillar of Horizon Europe, focused on global challenges and industrial competitiveness.

The European Commission announced on 20 December that it and the New Zealand government had concluded negotiations, adding that the deal was expected to be signed in 2023, “pending the completion of all necessary validations on both sides”.

New Zealand has long been a trusted EU partner, the bloc’s R&I commissioner Mariya Gabriel said, with “more than half” the country’s researchers having an active collaboration with a European counterpart.

But New Zealand-based researchers can participate in only a restricted set of EU grant types at present, and only in a limited capacity. They may also have to bring their own funding to the table.

Association will therefore “deepen our relation, foster innovation, and will further enable European researchers to benefit from the latest knowledge and some of the best talent worldwide”, said Gabriel.

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Implementation of government’s research white paper will take years without concrete proposals, science association says

New Zealand’s biggest research sector reforms for 30 years will stand or fail on the details, according to the country’s leading scientists.

The Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways white paper was released on 6 December, with a range of suggested reforms. However, there have been few concrete proposals for action, which could hold back the process significantly, said the New Zealand Association of Scientists.

The association’s co-president Lucy Stewart told Research Professional News that the body was generally pleased with the direction of the white paper. 

“We feel that it has usefully identified the stress points in the current system and, where solutions are outlined, is taking the right approach,” she said. “Unsurprisingly, we were very pleased by the presence of some new funding sections.”

Economical with the detail

However, the white paper was “an extremely high-level document and a lot of questions remain about implementation and timescale”, Stewart confirmed. She said the scale of the change explained this in part, but it meant more work for science organisations in attempting to understand and monitor how the reform will be implemented.

“In particular we are keen to see consultation begin around the national research priorities,” she said. “If this is handled incorrectly it could just turn into the National Science Challenges round 2, where major issues like climate change and infectious disease were left out.”

Stewart also said she wanted to see bipartisan political support for the reform “to give the research sector some certainty that after so long some of our core problems will be addressed”.

Workforce first

The white paper’s implementation will stretch over several years, culminating with institutional reforms.

Tara Thurlow-Rae, the Future Pathways manager at New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), told a public information session on 13 December that workforce issues would be addressed first, using tools such as fellowships and adjustments to training and international talent programmes. Changes to governance and funding arrangements would follow, with any institutional changes needed coming after that.

Thurlow-Rae said that the 900-plus submissions and feedback from the consultation during 2022 were still “live” and being used by the ministry to guide decisions.

Māori concerns

Tahu Kukutai, who is part of Māori researchers’ collective Te Pūtahitanga, said she was pleased to see that the collective’s recommendations had made it into the white paper. They included, she said, “embedding Te Tiriti [Māori rights] across the system, a dedicated Māori entity or platform, a focus on Māori and Pacific workforce development and precarity, and Māori-led research priorities”.

She added: “One of the gaps in the paper is the explicit provision for Māori data sovereignty. Our submission was very clear in recommending that Māori sovereignty over all Māori data must be a foundational principle in research, science and innovation reform.

“Although the paper is comprehensive, it is light on detail and there are big question marks over the how in terms of implementation.”

Further consultation

MBIE said new national research priorities would be created during 2023 following a public consultation. Their creation has been made more urgent by the planned expiry of the National Science Challenges in 2024.

Prue Williams, MBIE’s manager for science system investment and performance, said the basic goal of all the reforms was “impact” in research.

“It’s really important to emphasise that the white paper is intended to be an enduring policy document that signals the beginning of a multiyear process,” she told the seminar.

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This week: the incoming Marsden chair, top research awards and New Zealand’s Covid-19 inquiry

In depth: New Zealand’s biggest research sector reforms for 30 years will stand or fail on the details, according to the country’s leading scientists.

Full story: Lack of detail could hamper research reforms, scientists warn

Also this week from Research Professional News

Survey finds widespread support for health research—National poll shows high levels of concern about policies and planning among New Zealanders

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

New Marsden chair

Gillian Dobbie has been chosen as the next chair of the Marsden Fund Council. Dobbie, a professor at the University of Auckland, replaces David Bilkey after a four-year term. During 2022, the fund distributed NZ$77 million to 113 research projects.

Science New Zealand awards

An agriculture greenhouse emissions project has won Science New Zealand’s top research award. The project, run by AgResearch, studied how agricultural gas emissions were calculated, and concluded that emissions were lower than first thought. Mike Watt, a principal researcher who works in forest management at Crown research institute Scion, won a lifetime achievement award.

Pandemic inquiry greeted

Scientists have welcomed New Zealand’s inquiry into the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The University of Otago’s public health specialist Michael Baker said the terms of reference were “forward looking” and the commissioners “highly skilled and experienced”. The inquiry will be chaired by Australian epidemiologist Tony Blakely, alongside former New Zealand cabinet minister Hekia Parata and former Treasury secretary John Whitehead.

Curious Minds rewarded

Local and citizen science projects will team up with universities and research institutions in the latest round of the Unlocking Curious Minds awards. NZ$1.6 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will go to 12 projects, including a study of wetlands and local climate change resilience, an airborne infection risk reducer, and a “myrtle rust buster”.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 8-14 December appeared first on Research Professional News.

National poll shows high levels of concern about policies and planning among New Zealanders

New Zealanders worry that health research planning remains “vague and ambiguous” and would like to see more research in the field, a report from peak body New Zealanders for Health Research has found.

The NZHR’s 2022 public attitudes survey shows that citizens want more done on the issue. In the survey, published this month, the functioning of hospitals and the health system were ranked top of all issues the government should tackle.

Health research should be well funded and focus on improving health treatments, respondents told survey firm Kantar New Zealand. A majority of respondents said more public money should be funnelled towards health research.

Results were broadly similar to the last survey in 2020, although the urgency of finding new Covid-19 vaccines has dropped. Instead, the number of people concerned about the effects of climate change rose.

Future opportunities

The NZHR report said that both the inclusion of health research as a core function in the new Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) health legislation and the New Zealand government’s Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways research funding reforms represented opportunities for change.

However, it added that there was “persistent government resistance to addressing chronic underinvestment in health research”.

Nonetheless, the report noted an uptick in clinical trials. In 2021, around 350 such trials were completed in New Zealand, up from around 300 in 2020.

“It is hoped that the Health Research Council and the Ministry of Health’s Enhancing New Zealand Clinical Trials project will result in further increases in clinical trial activity through implementation of the project’s recommendations for improving the country’s clinical trials infrastructure,” the NZHR report said.

Demographic split

The survey found a marked split between people aged over 65 and those under 35 in support for more health spending, and support for the government’s response to Covid-19. Older people in general were more supportive of this kind of expenditure than younger people.

Maori people were less likely to support vaccinations and genetically modified treatments.

The number of people who donate to health research causes is dropping, the report warned, falling to under 30 per cent of respondents since the first time the survey was carried out in 2016. The NZHR estimated that philanthropy directs around NZ$60-65 million to the topic annually.

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This week: open-access health research, collaboration with Vietnam and a climate action centre

In depth: New Zealand’s research system will feature fewer competitive grants and more secure funding and employment under a series of reforms proposed by the government.

Full story: Proposed reforms target stable funding and national priorities

Also this week from Research Professional News

Researchers demand Māori values for Māori health—Healthcare improvements must include better attitudes to Māori patients from academics and clinics, leaders say

Here is the rest of the New Zealand news this week…

Health Research Council mulls mandatory open access

New Zealand’s Health Research Council has said it is considering mandating open-access publishing for all the research it funds. A spokesperson told Research Professional News that the issue is “currently under consideration, and still at an early stage”. In November the country’s business and innovation ministry announced that all research it funded would have to be published open access within 12 months. “Any changes to the HRC’s policy will be signalled to the health research sector well in advance of any new requirements,” the spokesperson said.

New Zealand teams up with Vietnam

Universities New Zealand has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to educational and research links with Vietnam. UNZ chief executive Chris Whelan said a 6 December forum with Vietnamese colleagues at the University of Waikato was “an opportunity to reinforce these close and important ties”. The Vietnamese delegation included Vuong Dinh Hue, the chairman of the country’s National Assembly, and Nguyen Danh Thao, Vietnam’s minister for education.

Agriculture and climate hub launched

A new climate action centre funded by the government and industry will research ways to reduce New Zealand farmers’ greenhouse gas emissions. Around NZ$170 million will be spent on the venture over the next four years. Early projects at the Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions include a “methane inhibiting capsule” which may reduce animals’ methane emissions by 70 per cent, a low-methane sheep-breeding programme and new greenhouse gas measuring equipment.

The post New Zealand news roundup: 1-7 December appeared first on Research Professional News.

White paper on New Zealand’s research system proposes to reduce predominance of competitive grants

New Zealand’s research system will feature fewer competitive grants and more secure funding and employment under a series of reforms proposed by the government.

The structure of the for-profit Crown Research Institutes may also be reformed.

The long-awaited Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways white paper outlines the government’s preferred options for research system reform. Released on 6 December, it represents New Zealand’s biggest research funding shakeup in 30 years.

The paper proposes a new research funding model with three main streams in the form of the existing Endeavour, Health Research Council and Marsden “investigator-led” research funds. There will also be a set of national research priorities and “user-led” projects that address specific research needs, accompanied by tax breaks and specific funding from government departments to support particular needs.

The three streams would be underpinned by unspecified levels of “stable funding for public good services” and infrastructure, alongside the existing Performance Based Research Fund for universities and the government’s funding programme for Centres of Research Excellence.

Focus shift

In the paper, research minister Ayesha Verrall outlined possible reforms to the Crown Research Institutes’ company model, under which costs have to be recouped. Verrall said the revised system would “include releasing researchers from unproductive competition for grants and enabling them to focus on converting their great ideas into solutions that can make a big impact to New Zealanders’ lives”.

This means a shift in focus from supporting multiple small entities to “nationally significant priorities”, she said.

However, the white paper did not include any details on how the competitive grant system would change. The only pointer is a proposal for a change in policy direction to “enhance the operation of funding contests to reduce transaction costs and unhelpful competition, whilst retaining the ability to invest in the best novel, high risk or investigator-led research”.

Career security

According to the paper, the government is considering further reform for science institutions and bringing in new funding approaches to support its goals. Those goals include reducing career precariousness and offering better development to New Zealand’s research workforce.

The white paper also pledges to “address settings in the funding system that disincentivise permanent or longer-term employment contracts”.

Māori priorities

The “stable” funding promised in the paper would be allocated according to new national research priorities that would replace New Zealand’s National Science Challenges and its Strategic Science Investment Fund. The priorities would include issues raised as part of the Treaty of Waitangi, and there would be specific Māori-led research priorities, the government said.

Māori aspirations would also be advanced through extra funding or by ringfencing existing funds for relevant research, the paper states. It also revealed that the government is seeking to partner with Māori researchers to create a “dedicated platform for mātauranga Māori expertise in research, science and innovation”.

The construction of physical infrastructure would be guided by a national infrastructure roadmap, with the possibility of consolidation of some locations.

Reset for the future 

Verrall said that while the country had been served well by research in the past, “our system is not currently set up for future success”. She said the new system would have “a stronger focus on people, with an emphasis on building sustainable and fulfilling career paths in science, improving diversity and addressing precarious employment”.

Other goals in the white paper include completing New Zealand’s association with the EU’s Horizon Europe funding programme, more government support for international projects and more efforts to attract talent from abroad.

Broader remits

The paper highlighted the relatively low spending on research and development in New Zealand, compared with international averages. It also admitted that there was “fragmentation, lack of role clarity, and apparent overlaps between Crown Research Institutes”.

The white paper proposed that “public research organisations with broader remits” as the answer to this issue, as these would be able to respond faster to urgent topics. Such institutes would help New Zealand “prosper in the face of significant technological and geopolitical change, increasing global digitalisation and transforming economies”.

The government has promised further consultation on the changes over the course of 2023.

This story was amended on 13/12/2022 to correct the report's publication date.

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