Positive changes to CRIs and infrastructure

Positive changes to CRIs and infrastructure

The New Zealand Association of Scientists endorses changes announced by the Minister for Research Science and Technology to the way CRIs will operate. Dr James Renwick, President of NZAS, said “improving the sense of purpose of each CRI, and putting funding for CRIs on a much sounder footing will be liberating for scientists. This is a real breath of fresh air in the CRI system.” The Association is very pleased to see that the Government is taking up many of the recommendations from the recent review of CRIs.

Further to direct changes to the way CRIs operate and are funded, the proposed merger of the Ministry and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology will also bring significant benefits. The result should be reduced overheads, a clearer strategic direction, and simplified accountability structures. CRI scientists, and the New Zealand science community generally, have reacted very positively to the announced changes, and will work to facilitate their implementation.

The Association sounded a word of caution around the merger of FRST and MoRST, however. “Science and technology are key components of economic growth, but they are a long-term investment” said Dr Renwick. “The biggest payoffs come from many years of fundamental research. One of the main problems the CRI reforms addresses is an over-emphasis on short-term results, which starves the science endeavour over time.”

If the combined agency is to be brought inside the Ministry for Economic Development, there is the concern within NZAS that a focus on short-term economic gain will be perpetuated, as well as ongoing neglect of strategic issues relating to health, biosciences and environmental research. Dr Renwick commented that “bringing the combined FRST and MoRST into MED may act to narrow the focus of science policy advice to Government.”

The NZAS is planning a one-day conference later in 2010, to address the state of the New Zealand science system, the ramifications of these developments and ways forward to further maximise the benefit to New Zealand.

New Zealand Association of Scientists (nzas.rsnz.org) is a nationwide association of practicing research scientists spanning the universities, technical institutes, Crown Research Institutes of Science NZ, government departments, industry, museums, other science institutions, and independent researchers.

ENDS

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