CRI scientists in CORES

The Association of Crown Research Institutes (ACRI) welcome the announcement of two new Centres of Research Excellence (COREs), by Associate Minister (Tertiary Education) Steve Maharey. The seven centres will receive $116 million in capital and operational funding over the next four years.

Paul Tocker, President of ACRI, and chief executive of Crop & Food Research (which is involved with a Lincoln University-based CORE), said:

“COREs show how virtual teams of the nation’s best researchers can be formed to maximise use of New Zealand’s scarce science research resources.

“COREs are funded out of Vote: Education and so must be led by a university.

“In practice, Government’s requirement that the COREs must be “world-class research groupings which will make a major contribution to New Zealand’s economic and social development” almost invariably means bringing in CRIs or other partners.

“Of the seven COREs, only one is a single university and four involve CRIs.

“COREs are the most public face of how virtual teams are being created across New Zealand’s science community and, indeed, globally.

“This level of collaboration maximises use of scarce resources, make best uses of the different skills, focus and culture of the entities, and stimulates dynamism and competition of ideas.

“Other examples include CRIs co-locating on university campuses, providing training and mentoring for more than 500 students, or involving other researchers in CRI-led projects.

“These things often cost CRIs money, but we believe that the principle of close relationships is sound.

“Well-structured virtual teams ensure that the nation retains the benefits of diversity and sectoral focus amongst research providers and science-based businesses, whilst maximising use of our human and physical resources.”

The COREs which include CRIs are:

Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology hosted at Victoria University of Wellington, Partners include Industrial Research Limited, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences and University of Canterbury

National Centre for Advanced Bio-protection Technologies Hosted at Lincoln University Partners include Crop & Food Research, AgResearch, Massey University

National Centre for Growth and Development hosted at the University of Auckland partners include AgResearch, Massey University and University of Otago

Research Excellence for Maori Development and Advancement hosted at University of Auckland Partners include Landcare Research, Universities of Waikato, Otago and Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whare Wananga O Awanuiarangi and Te Wananga Aotearoa

ENDS

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