23 April 2004
Otago Wins PBRF Money Round
Otago achieves greatest net research funding gain of any university
The University of Otago has been “resoundingly successful” in gaining more research funding through the Performance
Based Research Funding (PBRF) scheme, an outcome that “reflects the true range of research excellence at Otago”, says
University Vice-Chancellor Dr Graeme Fogelberg.
According to the recently released report (hyperlink) Otago will receive an additional $1.8 million as a result of the
exercise, the largest amount of any New Zealand university. With the $2.3 million the University contributed to the
available PBRF funding pool of $18 million, Otago’s total funding win comes to $4.1million.
Dr Fogelberg heartily congratulated all the University’s researchers whose “outstanding work” helped to achieve the
outcome. “Their commitment, time and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge is the example that I wish to hold up as the
very best of the Otago tradition.”
The Report states that "[University of] Auckland and Otago dominate the funding allocations, showing significant levels
of achievement in all three components of the PBRF." These three components are assessment of research performance,
external research income and research degree completions.
In terms of research performance, Dr Fogelberg noted that many departments at Otago “shone” in the PBRF exercise, “with
significant proportions of their staff "A" rated, with very high quality assessments, with exceptional external research
income generated and with significant numbers of research degree completions”.
Otago also has over 20 per cent of all "A" rated researchers in the country, second only to Auckland with 36 per cent.
Canterbury is third at13 per cent. In total, 97 Otago staff earned an "A" rating, he added.
In terms of the external research income component, Otago scored “exceptionally well”, placing second with $52.9 million
earned, he noted.
In the research degree completions component, Otago had the most doctorate completions of any university at 117 for the
2002 academic year. Because PhD completions are weighted higher than Masters degrees under PBRF, Otago received the most
funding under this allocation.
The report notes that "Its quality scores show that Otago's primary research strengths lie in the biological sciences
(including anatomy and structural biology, botany, biochemistry, marine science, microbiology, and zoology), and in
fields such as anthropology, history and art history, geology, law, philosophy, and psychology."
Dr Fogelberg says that the outcome “reflects very clearly the true range of excellence at Otago, right across the
University”, and again commended the University’s staff for dedication to research excellence and for their
participation in the PBRF exercise.
“I know it was time-consuming, and that there was considerable anxiety amongst staff prior to the release of the report.
But the result, as you will see, was well worth it.”
Dr Fogelberg also commended the Government for implementing PBRF despite some “teething” problems, and extended his
congratulations to other high-performing New Zealand tertiary education institutions.
“While there is always room for improvement in any new system, I am wholeheartedly in favour of the idea of directing
limited public funding to best support New Zealand’s research strengths. Clearly, at least at the University level,
there is considerable depth of research excellence in all institutions, and I congratulate all those departments which
have performed so admirably under this PBRF round.”
ENDS