Budget 2008
The Government has committed $205.4 million of new funding through the research science and technology (RS&T) portfolio over the next four years. In addition, $16.6 million was reallocated over the same period for new activity.
Budget 2008 funding increases are based on the investment strategy in From strength to strength: an agenda for New Zealand RS&T. The major investment objectives are:
Including the Budget decisions the Government’s annual operating investment through the RS&T portfolio for 2008/2009 is $725.725 million.
All figures are GST exclusive.
Creating new commercial opportunities and improving business performance
The government has expanded its commitment to creating new commercial opportunities and improving business performance with investment of $57 million over four years. This includes $12 million of reprioritised funding.
Specific initiatives
- New funding of $12 million over the next four years to enhance emerging and high value technologies and services
- New funding of $24 million over the next four years to be invested in high technology platforms
- A further $12 million over four years of reprioritised funding to Research and Development (R&D) Facilitation and Promotion Service, which facilitates relationships between firms and the research community. This has been reprioritised from Technology New Zealand, as part of rationalisation of the mechanisms used to support research and development in light of the recently introduced R&D tax credit
- $9m over four years for the pre-seed accelerator fund.
Integrated solutions for a sustainable environment and primary industries
The government has expanded investment in integrated solutions for a sustainable environment and primary industries with additional investment of $56 million over the next four years.
Specific initiatives
- $12 million over four years will be invested in research for sustainable primary systems. This funding will increase the global competitiveness of New Zealand industries and sectors through strategic research that underpins the development of new products, processes and services of use to New Zealand industries and sectors
- $12 million over the next four years will be invested in research for land and water use and quality. This will buy environmental research related to productive resource use that emphasises maintaining environmental integrity, and research that supports New Zealand's land and freshwater
- $15.5 million over four years to support Outcome Based Investments to ensure that long term benefit of environmental research investment continues to be captured
- $12 million over the next four years to invest in research that will give greater understanding of, and tools for, dealing with New Zealand’s unique biosecurity environment. This funding will also ensure that Biosecurity threats to production and markets are stopped at New Zealand’s borders or managed pre- and post-border
- $4.5 million over four years to support international collaboration with European partners on environmental research.
Supporting New Zealand’s infrastructure and energy needs
This year’s Budget includes an additional $40.5 million over the next four years to support New Zealand’s infrastructure and energy needs.
Specific initiatives
- $8 million over four years to help ensure that New Zealand is adequately positioned in the event of natural hazards
- $10 million over four years for renewable energy research
- $4 million over four years for research into deep geothermal energy
- $18.5 million over four years for research for the energy transformational research, science and technology area, which includes funding to ensure that New Zealand is well placed to transition toward a low carbon energy system that uses diverse and sustaining energy supplies.
Supporting health and well-being
The government has expanded investment by $16 million over the next four years to ensure the health and social well-being of New Zealanders’. Government investment in health research reflects investment in a wide variety of research from discovery through to translating research into better health for New Zealanders.
Specific initiatives
- $12 million over four years to boost public good health research through the Health Research Council, allowing the health sector to continue to develop better products, services and processes, and world leading research
- $4 million over the next four years towards obesity and metabolic disorders research.
Promoting the advancement of knowledge
The government has expanded investment by $17.2 million over four years in research to promote the advancement of knowledge. Funding will provide for investigator initiated excellent research, and exciting new opportunities in e-science.
Specific initiatives
- An increase of $13 million over four years for the Marsden Fund. The Marsden Fund is New Zealand’s premier fund for investing in blue-skies, investigator-initiated research and supports research excellence in science, technology, engineering and maths, social sciences and the humanities
- $4.2 million over three years to support development of capability and infrastructure among users of KAREN, the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network. The Network facilitates the exchange of information in and between research and education organisations in New Zealand and elsewhere.
Developing skilled people and maintaining organisational capabilities
The government has expanded investment by $33.3 million over the next four years in developing skilled people and maintaining organisational capabilities.
Specific initiatives
- Expanding investment in the New Zealand Science Learning Hub by $6 million over the next four years. The New Zealand Science Learning Hub provides contemporary information from New Zealand research organisations to support teachers deliver the science and technology curriculums
- $1.3 million over four years to create a science media centre. The Science Media Centre will encourage public engagement with science and technology through the media, providing depth and breadth of science coverage through services that strengthen the links between the RS&T and media sectors
- $22 million over four years for the Backbone scheme, underpinning core science functions. These functions include essential infrastructure, nationally significant databases and collections, and long-term datasets
- $4 million over the next four years to the Royal Society of New Zealadn (RSNZ) Rutherford Foundation. The Rutherford Foundation is an initiative by the RSNZ to partner with government and community organisations to provide scholarships across a range of science and technology career stages, including PhD and postdoctoral.