Hon Steven Joyce

Minister of Science and Innovation
11 November 2016

Rutherford Discovery Fellowships announced

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the recipients for this year’s Rutherford Discovery Fellowships.

“This programme provides great opportunities to further develop the skills of our most talented young scientists to be the future leaders of our growing science community,” Mr Joyce says.

The Rutherford Discovery Fellowships receive Government funding of $8 million per annum, and award up to $800,000 over five years to each Research Fellow. There are at least 50 Rutherford Discovery Fellows supported at any one time.

“Ten of New Zealand’s most talented early to mid-career researchers have been awarded Rutherford Discovery Fellowships,” Mr Joyce says.

“The Fellowships seek to attract, retain and grow New Zealand’s up-and-coming talent by helping highly-promising researchers establish a track record for future research leadership.

“These researchers are of the highest quality and are working on projects that are of real benefit to New Zealand – from novel antibiotic treatment to seismic hazards to communication systems.”

The Rutherford Discovery Fellowship Recipients for 2016 are:

Dr Baptiste Auguie, Victoria University of Wellington, for research entitled: Light and chirality at the nanoscale.

Dr Federico Baltar, University of Otago, for research entitled: What makes ‘normal’ normal? Alternative microbial carbon and energy acquisition mechanisms in the neglected high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) areas of the ocean.

Dr Adam Hartland, University of Waikato, for research entitled: Unlocking the karst record: quantitative proxies of past climates from speleothems.

Dr Huw Horgan, Victoria University of Wellington, for research entitled: Accelerating Ice – The Role of Water in the Flow of Ice Sheets.

Dr Yoshihiro Kaneko, GNS Science, for research entitled: Structural controls on earthquake behaviour in the Hikurangi subduction mega-thrust.

Dr Jenny Malmstrom, The University of Auckland, for research entitled: Signals to cells when and where they are needed.

Dr Duncan McMillan, University of Canterbury, for research entitled: Biomembrane nanotechnologies for exploring pathogen respiratory adaptation to identify and develop novel antibiotics.

Dr Jeremy Owen, Victoria University of Wellington, for research entitled: Harnessing the biosynthetic potential of uncultivated microbes for the discovery of new antibiotics.

Dr Nicole Roughan, The University of Auckland, for research entitled: Jurisprudence without Borders: A Pluralist Theory of Law.

Dr Virginia Toy, University of Otago, for research entitled: "Weaving the Earth's Weak Seams: Manifestations and mechanical consequences of rock fabric evolution in active faults and shear zones.

For more information on these fellowships visit: Rutherford Discovery Fellowships

The successful recipients of the Rutherford Foundation Trust Awards and the James Cook Fellowships were also announced today by the Royal Society and are available here:

Rutherford Foundation Trust Awards

James Cook Fellowships

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