Media Release 23 September 2008

Marsden Fund Growth Must Continue

Good, but not yet good enough was how New Zealand’s eight universities greeted the largest ever annual investment by the Marsden Fund with $54 million to be outlaid over three years on 91 new research projects.

Today’s announcement by fund administrators the Royal Society of New Zealand saw universities secure 87 per cent of the total 2008 Marsden allocation which the universities’ representative body, the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, described as a good result.

However, NZVCC Research Committee chair Professor David Skegg says that as the most significant research sector in the country, universities need more research funding to maximise their contribution to an economy based on growth and innovation.

“The fact that only 11 per cent of preliminary proposals in this year’s Marsden round actually received funding is a sure indication that many university research projects which had the potential to add to New Zealand’s social and economic well-being have missed out.

“Universities are the country’s major source of new knowledge and basic research and as such, continue to advocate for increased public investment in university research through the Marsden Fund, Health Research Council and the Performance-Based Research Fund.”

Professor Skegg pointed out that among the successful university proposals in this year’s Marsden round were research projects involving venture capitalists and intellectual property, and MDMA (ecstasy) abuse and brain behaviour.

“These are good examples of both universities’ contribution to commercialisation of the national research effort and addressing problems which have a serious impact on New Zealand society.

“Universities could, and should, do more to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all New Zealanders but need more public investment in their research to fully deliver on that potential.”

ENDS