ACT is welcoming news that the Royal Society's Marsden Fund is being updated to focus on core science that is of economic, environmental or health benefit to New Zealand.

“In recent years, the Marsden Fund's terms of reference have seen funding prioritised for spirituality, activism and identity politics over high-quality public good research that benefits all New Zealanders,” says ACT Science, Innovation, and Technology spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar.

Recent Marsden Fund Grants include:

• $853,000 to investigate historical and current relationships between Māori and taxation, aiming to propose new, Te Tiriti-aligned tax systems.
• $757,000 to imagine 'honourable kāwanatanga' in preparation for a decolonised nation and a Tiriti-based future.
• $360,000 to assess the rhetorics of civic deliberation in true crime podcasting.
• $861,000 for research on linking the celestial spheres to end-of-life experiences.

“These projects are hard to justify to taxpayers who are struggling to afford the basics. Every dollar spent on these grants is a dollar that is not supporting research in the hard sciences, or for that matter, life-saving medicines, essential infrastructure, or tax relief for struggling households.

“Politicians shouldn’t decide which specific research projects are funded, but we have a duty to ensure taxpayer money is focused on research that delivers tangible benefits for society and the economy. Today’s changes will help to ensure that this funding delivers a long-term benefit for New Zealand.

“The Marsden Fund is administered by the Royal Society. ACT says there is an opportunity to make further improvements in areas the Royal Society administers. The Royal Society’s Future Leadership Fellowship Grants award $800,000 each to 20 researchers with quotas for female, Māori, and Pasifika recipients. What’s worse, these grants are allocated via a random lottery, rather than based on the merit of the recipient.

“Where does this leave a New Zealander of European, Indian, or Brazilian descent, for example? They could have the best idea in the world but be excluded for being the ‘wrong’ gender or ethnicity. Even if they meet the identity criteria, their success is left to luck.

“The Royal Society’s funding should prioritise merit, excellence, and societal benefit – not identity politics or lotteries. ACT is calling for a return to fairness, accountability, and a focus on delivering real results for New Zealanders.”

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