Hon Steven Joyce
Minister of Science & Innovation
25 October 2012 Media Statement
Science research given $54 million boost
New Zealand’s top scientific researchers have been awarded $54.6 million in Marsden Fund grants, Science and Innovation
Minister Steven Joyce announced today.
The funding will go towards financing 86 new projects that were selected from 1113 applicants, who submitted proposals
for consideration.
“The Marsden Fund is one of New Zealand’s premier investigator-led research funds. Each project selected this year went
through a rigorous selection process and the successful applicants were chosen on the basis of scientific excellence,”
Mr Joyce says.
Research projects to receive funding ranged across a broad spectrum, including studying new therapies for diabetes,
obesity and heart disease; learning more about the behaviours of earthquakes and volcanoes; and harnessing the power of
business.
Thirty two recipients have been awarded Fast-Start grants for outstanding post-doctoral and early-career researchers
that are worth up to $115,000 a year for three years. A further 54 recipients received Standard Grants, which are worth
up to $330,000 a year for three years.
“This funding will enable our country’s top scientific researchers to conduct quality research in their fields of
expertise, which will have many flow-on effects for New Zealand’s scientific community.
“Across the three-year funding cycle, we are not just supporting the applicants, but hundreds of scientists and
researchers as these projects go through the various stages of research,” Mr Joyce says.
Overall, 105 Principal Investigators and 120 Associate Investigators benefit from this funding, ranging from
postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers through to New Zealand’s most eminent scientists.
The Marsden Fund is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand. Recipients are selected by specialist independent
panels covering the range of science disciplines
To view the full list of successful applicants and for more information, please visit:
ENDS