‘Ageing Well’ Science Challenge launched

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today launched the Ageing Well National Science Challenge, confirming initial funding of $14.6 million.

The Ageing Well Kia eke kairangi ki te taikaumātuatanga Challenge is the fifth National Science Challenge to be launched, and involves multi-disciplinary research across a range of research organisations, Mr Joyce says.

Hosted by the University of Otago, it will bring together researchers from seven New Zealand universities and use science to sustain health and wellbeing into the later years of life.

“The Ageing Well Challenge will help improve the lives of older people, and enhance New Zealand’s ability to cope with, and benefit from, our changing demographics,” Mr Joyce says.

The Challenge will work on science to reduce and moderate the impact of dementia, strokes, depression, impaired vision and hearing, and physical disability. It will develop new techniques and technologies that improve the ability of older people to live independent lives by researching innovations in housing, transport and care services.

“The number of New Zealanders aged 65 years and over is currently 650,000, and is projected to climb to more than 1 million in the late 2020s. Those aged 65 years and over will then account for 20-22 percent of our population, compared with 14 percent currently,” Mr Joyce says.

“This rapid demographic change is one of New Zealand’s biggest long-term societal and financial challenges. Clever strategic ground-breaking science is needed now to start addressing this challenge.

"With the opportunities for improved physical and mental health in this ageing population, there is both the ability and a definite need for older people to play a much greater role in contributing to our economy and strengthening our society in the future," Mr Joyce says.

Funding has been approved subject to contract conditions, and Health Research Council funding of up to $34 million is relevant to the Challenge. The investment complements the new Brain Health Centre of Research Excellence (CORE) announced last year, which aims to unlock the secrets of the ageing brain.

The 11 National Science Challenges are designed to tackle the biggest science-based issues and opportunities facing New Zealand.

Each Challenge includes both new funding and funds that will become available as current research contracts directly related to each Challenge mature.

The new Challenge money comprises $133.5 million over four years allocated in Budgets 2012 and 2013, and continuing funding of $30.5 million per year thereafter.

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