Scientists query project funding
Scientists are questioning the Government’s $422.5 million reinvestment in a raft of research projects.
On Friday, the Science Board – responsible for investing the Government funds in research, science and technology – approved a second tranche of funding following a review, bringing the total investment to $680.8m over 10 years. The 11 National Science Challenges are addressing issues such as climate change, housing and mental health. However, Professor Shaun Hendy, the director of Te Pu¯ naha Matatini at Auckland University, wanted to see more public data on who was being funded for what.
‘‘Right now it’s very hard to tell whether the challenges are engaging well with emerging or Ma¯ ori researchers, for example, or whether funding is going to an old boys’ network. I would like to see a robust audit of the way the challenges were selected, procured, and established.
‘‘The science community would benefit from knowing what worked and what didn’t, and given the public were involved in their selection, they also deserve some insight into this.’’
The challenges are cross-disciplinary, mission-led programmes tackling New Zealand’s biggest science-based issues.
They require collaboration between researchers from universities and other academic institutions, Crown Research Institutes, businesses and nongovernmental organisations to achieve their objectives.
More than 150 projects are under way across the challenges.
‘‘The projects put extraordinary levels of stress on the science system, and there has been a lot of discussion about the dollars and sweat that goes into their governance and management,’’ Hendy said. ‘‘I think there is scope for reducing this by amalgamating some of them.
‘‘The health-focused challenges, for example, are not much bigger each than an Endeavour programme and might benefit from amalgamated management and governance. This might also give them more profile with the public.’’ After some public input, the challenges were selected by a panel led by Sir Peter Gluckman but Hendy found ‘‘this process rather mysterious’’.
‘‘At the time I was very disappointed the challenges didn’t really include anything that would capture the public imagination. Five years on, I think we have seen some great wins from the challenges but I am surprised we’ve seen all of them re-funded to the tune of their original fiscal envelopes.’’
Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Megan Woods welcomed the decision to release the funding. ‘‘The review has shown that the challenges are fundamentally changing the way science is being undertaken in New Zealand. This approach brings our top scientists and researchers together to work collaboratively across disciplines and alongside Ma¯ ori.’’
However, Associate Professor Nicola Gaston, of Auckland University, said the stability provided by the continued funding was what the sector needed.