Gazette.govt.nz1. Notice to the Science Board
1.1 In this notice, I:
- specify under section 10(3)(b) of the Research, Science, and Technology Act 2010:
- that the Science Board is to make funding decisions on proposals for funding under the Targeted Research Investment Mechanism (Targeted Research) in the 2015 science investment round;
- how much specified Research, Science and Technology funding is available for allocation by the Science Board; and
- eligibility criteria, investment priorities and other requirements that must be met, for the Science Board to allocate funding.
1.2 Targeted Research is described in the notice entitled “Criteria for Proposals for Science-led Contestable Funding” published in the New Zealand Gazette, 30 October 2014, No. 132, Notice No. 2014-go6681.
2. Scope
2.1 Research, Science and Technology funding is available for Targeted Research in the 2015 science investment round from the research funds described in the notice entitled “Establishment of Innovation Board and Science Board and Other Related Notices Pursuant to the Research, Science, and Technology Act 2010” under the heading “Description of Funds within Vote RS&T”, published in the Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette, 31 January 2011, No. 9, page 177, and set out below:
- Biological Industries
- Energy and Minerals
- Environmental
- Hazards and Infrastructure
- Health and Society
- High-Value Manufacturing and Services.
2.2 No funding is available under the Enabling Technologies investment mechanism in 2015.
3. Eligibility
3.1 To be eligible for funding under Targeted Research, proposals must:
- be to undertake research, science or technology or related activities that are in an area specified under the heading Nature of Fund and are in accordance with the Objectives and Indicators of Success for one of the research funds set out in clause 2.1;
- be aligned with the investment priorities and meet other requirements set out in one of the Schedules to this notice (the “Relevant Schedule”); and
- meet any applicable eligibility criteria set out in the notice entitled “Criteria for Proposals for Science-led Contestable Funding” referred to in clause 1.2.
4. Funding, investment priorities and other requirements
4.1 The strategic context for funding, investment priorities and other requirements is set out in the 2015 Science Investment Plan published on Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s website at
on 21 November 2014.
4.2 The indicative total funding available for the Science Board to allocate to Targeted Research proposals in 2015 is $20.8 million, exclusive of GST, per annum.
4.3 Indicative funding, investment priorities and other requirements for the Science Board to make funding decisions for Targeted Research in each research fund are set out in the Relevant Schedules.
4.4 The term “indicative” as used in this notice and the attached Schedules means that the funding decisions made by the Science Board may result in some variation between the funding allocated and the financial amounts stated.
4.5 The Science Board may redistribute available funding between Targeted Research and Smart Ideas in order to achieve a more appropriate mix of investments, as set out in the notice entitled “Criteria for Proposals for Science-led Contestable Funding” referred to in clause 1.2 of this notice.
4.6 The Science Board may fund proposals for durations that vary from the durations for different investment priorities set out in the tables in the Schedules to this notice.
Dated at Wellington this 17th day of November 2014.
Hon STEVEN JOYCE, Minister of Science and Innovation.
Schedule 1
Biological Industries Research Fund
1. Funding scope and amounts
1.1 The indicative level of funding available for the Science Board to allocate is $2.5 million per annum (exclusive of GST) from the Biological Industries Research Fund for Targeted Research proposals in the 2015 science investment round.
1.2 Proposals for Targeted Research in the Biological Industries Research Fund must be for research, science, or technology, or related activities which are in accordance with one or more of the investment priorities, and associated indicative funding levels and other requirements set out below.
2. Outcome-focused investment priorities
|
Investment priority |
Indicative funding |
Other requirements |
|
Primary sector productivity and sustainability Increased sustainable export revenue growth from enhanced primary sector productivity and sustainability. |
$1.25 million per annum |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. |
|
High-value food and industrial biological products, processes and technologies Increased sustainable export revenue growth from developing high-value food and industrial biological products, processes and technologies. |
$1.25 million per annum |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. |
Note: Both priorities encompass research underpinning the development, sustainable production, processing and delivery to global markets of foods and materials from New Zealand’s bioresources or underproductive areas, including but not limited to, increased contribution to sustainable export revenue growth from the Māori economy.
Schedule 2
Energy and Minerals Research Fund
1. Funding scope and amounts
1.1 The indicative level of funding available for the Science Board to allocate is $3.0 million per annum (exclusive of GST) from the Energy and Minerals Research Fund for Targeted Research proposals in the 2015 science investment round.
1.2 Proposals for Targeted Research in the Energy and Minerals Research Fund must be for research, science, or technology, or related activities which are in accordance with one or more of the investment priorities, and associated indicative funding levels and other requirements set out below.
2. Outcome-focused investment priorities
|
Investment priority |
Indicative funding |
Other requirements |
|
Petroleum exploration Improve quantity and quality of data in the pre-commercial phase of the exploration and/or deep water development of New Zealand’s petroleum resources to improve decision-making. |
$2.4 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. Proposals must address how end users will be able to access raw data, and how data will be made available in file formats and structures usable by end users. The research plan must provide for research outputs to be readily available to end users at regular intervals during the research. Proposals must address how the outcomes sought will cover exploration and/or deep water development at a national scale, that is, moving beyond areas such as the Taranaki basin. Prospects must integrate and further develop existing data and knowledge from a wide range of resources, for example, academic and industry, and coordinated with New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals. |
|
Transport – light vehicle fleet fuel efficiency Reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon footprints in the operation of the light vehicle fleet in New Zealand. |
$0.6 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. |
Note: The light vehicle fleet includes the light passenger fleet (passenger cars/vans) and the light commercial fleet (goods vans/trucks/utility motor caravans/buses) up to 3,500kg. Light buses are included as they have the same fuel use and emissions characteristics as vans and SUVs.
Also Note: Projects related to broader issues of future transport systems and infrastructure should be addressed in response to the investment priority in the Hazards and Infrastructure Research Fund: future mobility solutions.
Schedule 3
Environmental Research Fund
1. Funding scope and amounts
1.1 The indicative level of funding available for the Science Board to allocate is $7.20 million per annum (exclusive of GST) from the Environmental Research Fund for Targeted Research proposals in the 2015 science investment round.
1.2 Proposals for Targeted Research in the Environmental Research Fund must be for research, science, or technology or related activities which are in accordance with one or more of the investment priorities, and associated indicative funding levels and other requirements set out below.
2. Outcome-focused investment priorities
|
Investment priority |
Indicative funding |
Other requirements |
|
Ross Sea ecosystem The Ross Sea is a healthy, resilient ecosystem, used sustainably, through improved knowledge of the nature of, and risks to, its special characteristics. |
$0.8 million |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. |
|
Ocean acidification Impacts of ocean acidification on New Zealand’s coastal marine ecosystems and the industries they support are better understood and/or mitigated. |
$1.2 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. Proposals must consider magnitude and rate of ocean acidification. |
|
Marine biosecurity and biodiversity risks and impacts Marine biosecurity risks are mitigated and biodiversity, including threatened marine species, protected through an improved understanding of marine ecosystems and their responses to a changing ocean. |
$1.4 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. Proposals must consider broad scale oceanic changes such as climatic and biochemical/biophysical properties. |
|
Aquifer management Groundwater quality and aquifer function are maintained or enhanced through effective, integrated management methods. |
$1 million |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. Proposals must consider: (1) interrelationships across land use/activities, groundwater and freshwater systems; impacts of contaminants (including time lags and attenuation); and vadose zone processes (2) synergies with existing national freshwater limit-setting initiatives. |
|
Quality and resilience of New Zealand’s estuaries and lakes Estuaries and lakes are sustained or restored through enhanced knowledge and actions that improve the quality and resilience of these ecosystems. |
$2 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. Proposals can address either one, or both, ecosystem types. |
|
Enhanced environmental decision-making and behaviour change Environmental decisions1 are enhanced and implemented more effectively by: understanding system complexity and interconnectedness; motivators of behaviour change; and implementation of methods to scale-up or accelerate successful initiatives. |
$0.8 million |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. Proposals must demonstrate strong engagement of decision-makers from policy agencies through to Māori and community. |
1Decisions involving natural resources or their management.
Schedule 4
Hazards and Infrastructure Research Fund
1. Funding scope and amounts
1.1 The indicative level of funding available for the Science Board to allocate is $2.70 million per annum (exclusive of GST) from the Hazards and Infrastructure Research Fund for Targeted Research proposals in the 2015 science investment round.
1.2 Proposals for Targeted Research in the Hazards and Infrastructure Research Fund must be for research, science, or technology, or related activities which are in accordance with one or more of the investment priorities, and associated indicative funding levels and other requirements set out below.
2. Outcome-focused investment priorities
|
Investment priority |
Indicative funding |
Other requirements |
|
Benefits and improved methods of infrastructure provision Infrastructure networks are optimised and modernised, as the full range of benefits of infrastructure are understood and improved methods of infrastructure provision are identified. |
$1.2 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. |
|
Future mobility solutions2 Transport systems and infrastructure are future-proofed and optimised. |
$1 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. |
|
Emerging hazards and infrastructure risks3 National-scale emerging risks are mitigated due to enhanced understanding of new hazards and triggers or increasing exposure to risk including cascade risk. |
$0.5 million |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. |
2Projects related to fuel efficiency of the vehicle fleet should be addressed in response to the investment priority in the Energy and Minerals Research Fund: Transport – light vehicle fleet fuel efficiency.
3Risks primarily to human health are not covered under the Hazards and Infrastructure Research Fund.
Schedule 5
Health and Society Research Fund
1. Funding scope and amounts
1.1 The indicative level of funding available for the Science Board to allocate is $1.20 million per annum (exclusive of GST) from the Health and Society Research Fund for Targeted Research proposals in the 2015 science investment round.
1.2 Proposals for Targeted Research in the Health and Society Research Fund must be for research, science, or technology, or related activities which are in accordance with one or more of the investment priorities, and associated indicative funding levels and other requirements set out below.
2. Outcome-focused investment priorities
|
Investment priority |
Indicative funding |
Other requirements |
|
Violence reduction The harm that violence causes the community is reduced by effective interventions based on an improved understanding of the root causes of violence and of violence-related harm. |
$0.6 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. |
|
Enhanced societal outcomes for hard-to-reach groups The ability of hard-to-reach groups and family/whānau to participate positively in society and the economy is improved through enhanced engagement and effective interventions. |
$0.6 million |
Proposals must be for 4 years’ duration. |
Note: The term “hard-to-reach” in the table above covers those people who are less likely to engage in services that are aimed at them.
Examples are minority ethnic groups, sole-parent families, people in low socio-economic status communities, those with mental health problems, complex needs and circumstances, drug or alcohol abuse problems, illegal immigrants, people engaged in criminal activities, and people who feel they are at risk of statutory intervention. In the New Zealand context the term also includes gangs.
Schedule 6
High-Value Manufacturing and Services Research Fund
1. Funding scope and amounts
1.1 The indicative level of funding available for the Science Board to allocate is $4.20 million per annum (exclusive of GST) from the High-Value Manufacturing and Services Research Fund for Targeted Research proposals in the 2015 science investment round.
1.2 Proposals for Targeted Research in the High-Value Manufacturing and Services Research Fund must be for research, science, or technology, or related activities which are in accordance with one or more of the investment priorities, and associated indicative funding levels and other requirements set out below.
2. Outcome-focused investment priorities
|
Investment priority |
Indicative funding |
Other requirements |
|
Diversify and grow the New Zealand economy through exports of high technology goods and services in the areas below. |
||
|
Agri-technologies, and health and medical technologies |
$2.4 million |
Proposals must be for 3 years’ duration. Proposals must not exceed funding of $0.4 million per annum. |
|
Information, communication and digital technologies |
$1.8 million |
Proposals must be for 2 years’ duration. Proposals must not exceed funding of $0.4 million per annum. |