Venture Taranaki secures Curious Minds funding until 2024
Venture Taranaki has secured funding to continue backing Curious Minds science projects until June 2024, with a new funding round now open.
In an emailed statement, the regions’ development agency said it would have $154,000 of project funding available to allocate annually to
Curious Minds Taranaki, a Participatory Science Platform.
Venture Taranaki delivers Curious Minds in the region in collaboration with the Taranaki Regional Council and is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Since 2015, C60 projects throughout Taranaki have been funded to the value of $1,001,728, with additional in-kind and cofunding exceeding $788,900.
‘‘We’re thrilled to reach such a significant milestone of funding distributed. We know this funding has positive impacts within our communities, allowing schools and community groups to research and tackle problems and questions that matter to them,’’ Venture Taranaki chief executive Justine Gilliland said.
The latest project was added at the end of 2021 and aims to understand the offshore behaviour of kororā (little blue penguin).
Kororā Kōrero is led by Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society and, in collaboration with Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, it is engaging students from Central and Moturoa schools alongside Port Taranaki to develop a community-led marine monitoring programme.
Meanwhile, expressions of interest are now open for the new funding round, and organisations and individuals are encouraged to register their ideas now.
Applicants can apply for funding up to $20,000 to use towards their projects. Applications close on March 21.
People can also register ideas all year-round through the Venture Taranaki website and be the first to know of available funding and take advantage of any other opportunities that become available.
‘‘We look forward to hearing your ideas for projects and how we can help turn them into research action,’’ Gilliland said.
For more information and to register your idea, visit curiousmindstaranaki.org.nz.