$44 million for New Zealand researchers

$44 million for New Zealand researchers

The Marsden Fund has announced its investment of NZ$44 million (incl. GST) in a wide range of leading-edge research projects.

A total of 93 new projects have been given the go-ahead, advancing New Zealand research excellence in the sciences, engineering, maths and information sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Just under a third of the awards (28) are Marsden Fast-Starts, designed to support outstanding researchers early in their careers.

Highlights from the 2007 funding round include a project that will test a radical new theory to explain the way the brain combines information to recognise objects, one that plans to isolate anti-cancer enzymes from bacteria, and another to research the benefits of home ownership. A project that will push the boundaries of the advanced pure mathematics of differential equations, and one that will investigate the stability of the Alpine Fault have also been funded.

Dr Garth Carnaby, Chair of the Marsden Fund Council, was delighted with the outcome, saying, “All of the projects funded are in the top five percent of research activity internationally. Marsden invests in New Zealand's brightest and best, enabling them to explore their ideas, and contribute to innovation and development in our society, and in the research community globally.”

A recent $2.25 million (incl. GST) budget boost from the Government has enabled the Marsden Fund Council to increase its investment in New Zealand’s early career researchers, and seed fund a number of projects it would have been impossible to support otherwise.

“This investment by the Government is crucial – it enables New Zealand based researchers and scientists to engage with the international discovery frontier. It is also particularly pleasing that we were able to fund such a good cross-section of our most promising young researchers this year,” said Dr Carnaby.

Applications to the Fund are extremely competitive. Of the 910 preliminary proposals received (693 Standard proposals and 217 Fast-Start proposals), 232 were asked to submit a full proposal with 93 ultimately being funded.

A full list of 2007 recipients, and highlights from the current funding round, is available at www.marsden.rsnz.org.

Notes to Editors:
The Marsden Fund supports excellence in leading-edge research in New Zealand. Each year, Government provides funding for projects of the highest calibre in the sciences, engineering, maths and information sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Projects are selected in a rigorous process by nine panels of experts, guided by the opinions of world-leading referees.

The Marsden Fund is contestable, investigator-driven, and not subject to Government priorities. The Fund is administered on behalf of the Marsden Fund Council by the Royal Society of New Zealand. It is funded by the New Zealand Government.

The Marsden Fast-Start programme is an initiative to give emerging researchers an opportunity to explore an innovative idea, developing their capabilities and helping them establish their research careers.

ENDS

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