Parliamentary Event Celebrates Marsden Fund
Parliamentary Event Celebrates Twenty Years Of Marsden Fund
Scientists, researchers and politicians will gather at Parliament today (Tuesday 18 February) to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Marsden Fund, New Zealand's largest fund for leading-edge, fundamental research projects.
“Looking back over
the last two decades, it becomes clear how Marsden-funded
research has benefited all New Zealanders,” says Professor
JulietGerrard, chairperson of the Marsden Fund Council.
“Many projects have a long lead-in time, but increasing
our basic understanding of the world has now brought
improved environmental outcomes, new technologies and better
medicines and healthcare.”
“What's important
about the Marsden Fund is that it gives our best and
brightest researchers the freedom to explore their most
exciting ideas. This is how important breakthroughs are
made,” says Professor Gerrard.
“Who would have
thought that finding a sheep that kept on having triplets
would result in better IVF treatment for women? Or that
investigating brain development would lead to a new product
for healing wounds?”
“The research being funded
by the Marsden Fund today – ranging from understanding New
Zealand drinking culture to investigating how pests will
respond to global climate change – is work that will
benefit New Zealand for decades to come.”
The
Marsden Fund was started by government in 1994 and supports
projects in the sciences, technology, engineering, maths,
social sciences and the humanities. The fund is administered
on behalf of the government by the Royal Society of New
Zealand.
[Please see below for details of research
projects mentioned in this release]
ENDS