Rutherford Foundation Trust Awards and James Cook Research Fellowships announced

  • Steven Joyce
Science and Innovation

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the recipients for this year’s Rutherford Foundation Trust Awards and James Cook Research Fellowships.

The two grant schemes have combined Government funding of more than $1.7 million and are aimed at developing the skills of New Zealand scientists.

“The prestigious Rutherford Foundation Trust scholarships have been awarded to six of our most outstanding young researchers this year - three postdoctoral Fellows who will be working in New Zealand and three PhD students who will be going to study at the University of Cambridge” Mr Joyce says.

“The James Cook Research Fellowships are highly sought after by our more experienced researchers who are science and innovation leaders in their fields. The two Fellows selected this year have competed against a very strong field and are to be congratulated for their achievements.”

Mr Joyce says the two schemes offer opportunities to further develop the skills of our most talented scientists – those starting out on their careers and recognising experienced researchers.

“These researchers are of the highest quality and are working on projects that are of real benefit to New Zealand – from the understanding of bowel bacteria and digestion, to the genetic causes of a heart disorder; the use of virtual reality for rehabilitating stroke victims; and the development of more reliable and secure computer programmes and software systems.”

The Rutherford Foundation was established by the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2008. It is supported by $1 million from the Government each year along with contributions from the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust and private donations.

The James Cook Research Fellowship was established in 1995, and receives full funding from the Government of $720,000 per year.  At any given time the James Cook Fellowship scheme is supporting at least five Fellows, each for two years.

The Rutherford Foundation Trust Award recipients are:
Postdoctoral Fellows:

  • Dr David Aguirre, from Massey University, for research entitled: “Building communities from the bottom up: uncovering links between algal trait variation and biodiversity on temperate reefs”
  • Dr Ivone Leong, LabPlus, Auckland City Hospital, for research entitled: “Targeted and whole exome sequencing to identify the genetic causes of long QT syndrome”
  • Dr Rachael Shaw, Victoria University of Wellington, for research entitled: “The evolution of intelligence: evaluating the relationship between cognition and fitness in North Island robins”
  • Cambridge-Rutherford Memorial Scholarships at the University of Cambridge to complete a PhD:
  • Abraham Mains, for research entitled: “Elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the life and health span extension observed upon chronic mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition”
  • Edward Linscott, for research entitled: “Condensed matter physics”
  • Hannah Sheahan, for research entitled: “The interaction of biomechanics and reaction times for bimanual activation using virtual reality systems”

The two James Cook Research Fellows are:

  • Professor James Noble, Victoria University of Wellington (Engineering Sciences and Technology), for research entitled: "Reliable Software via Patterns and Ownership".
  • Professor Gerald Tannock, University of Otago, for Health Sciences research entitled: "A path to understanding bowel bacteria".

For more information on the Rutherford Foundation and James Cook Research visit:

Rutherford Foundation Trust Awards:
http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/funds/rutherford-foundation/news/

James Cook Research Fellowships:
http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/funds/cook-fellowships/news/