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The Government will invest $8.4 million over seven years in a research partnership that could transform New Zealand’s wool industry, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced today.

The Wool Industry Research Ltd (WIRL) partnership “New Uses for Wool” is co-funded by the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand and worth $21 million overall.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today launched the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge, which aims to reduce the financial burden of major health problems, with funding of up to $31.3 million over 10 years.

“This Science Challenge will place New Zealand as a world leader in the delivery of equitable healthcare for non-communicable diseases,” Mr Joyce says. “It will seek better prevention, diagnosis and treatment methods for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, with a burden reduction target of 25 per cent by 2025.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today the appointment of a new member to the Marsden Fund Council.

Emeritus Professor Carolyn Burns joined the Council for three years from December 1 and will convene the Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Panel.

“Emeritus Professor Burns is a well respected scientist with strong leadership, governance experience and an excellent research track record,” Mr Joyce says.

Seven science and business teams have been awarded National Science Challenge funding worth $7 million to transform current knowledge of high-value foods, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

The successful proposals will each receive $1 million over the next three years from the first contestable funding round of the High-Value Nutrition Science Challenge, one of 11 National Science Challenges dedicated to breaking new ground in key areas of science.

A pioneering Kiwi-German artificial limb project has been recognised by Europe’s largest applied research institution, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.

The Bionic Joint project, developed by the University of Auckland’s Bio-engineering Institute and the Fraunhofer IPA, has been awarded ICON status by Germany’s Fraunhofer Society, which will provide additional support and funding.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister John Key in Berlin today.

New Zealand’s screen and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industries stand to benefit from technology developed by VorTech, the winner of Callaghan Innovation’s inaugural C-PRIZE competition, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce said today.

Launched in April, the first C-PRIZE competition aimed to boost New Zealand’s position as world-leader in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology and help keep the country's innovative screen industry at the cutting-edge.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced nearly $1 million of new funding to 25 additional projects around the country to engage more young Kiwis with science and technology under the Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund pilot.

“There was very high demand for the pilot programme, and I am pleased to be able to announce this additional funding for a second tranche of innovative projects to engage the public with science and technology,” Mr Joyce says.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the winners of New Zealand’s most valuable and prestigious annual science awards.

“The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes recognise researchers, teachers, students and communicators of the highest calibre, working in areas with real impact on New Zealand’s economy, environment or societal wellbeing,” Mr Joyce says.

The five prizes were established in 2009 and have total value of $1 million.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the opening of the proposals process for Regional Research Institutes, following the completion of a series of 12 workshops around the country.

Proposals are invited from groups of businesses, researchers and private investors who are seeking to collaborate to establish regional institutes that will deliver commercially-focused and industry-relevant research to their region and New Zealand as a whole.

Research proposals have opened today for the redesigned Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Contestable Research Fund, says Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

“The National Statement of Science Investment (NSSI), released last month, announced that the contestable fund will be redesigned to be a single, more flexible fund that can respond to emerging research opportunities and priorities,” Mr Joyce says.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman say a new health research strategy will be developed to focus and align the economic and health goals of the health research sector. 

“A health research strategy is needed to focus and align the twin economic and health goals of New Zealand’s health research investment,” says Mr Joyce. We want to maximise the contribution of science to New Zealand’s economic growth and wellbeing of New Zealanders.”

Distinguished Professor Ian Reid has been announced the 2015 Rutherford Medal winner by Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

Professor Reid, from Auckland University’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, was awarded the prestigious scientific honour during the New Zealand Research Honours Dinner in Auckland this evening. 

He was also presented with the Health Research Council of New Zealand’s (HRC) Liley Medal at the annual event for his outstanding contribution to research in health and medical sciences.

The Government has awarded New Zealand researchers $53.5 million in new Marsden Fund grants, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today. 

The 92 successful proposals will be funded over three years and include a diverse range of topics from exploring causal factors between earthquakes and volcanic eruption, to therapies for motor neuron disease and a research programme that will investigate the implications of prodrugs for many types of illness.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the recipients of the 2015 Rutherford Foundation Trust Awards.

The Trust aims to develop the skills of New Zealand’s most promising young researchers by providing them with early career support.

“This year’s recipients are 10 of New Zealand’s most outstanding emerging researchers, working in fields from health to marine ecology,” says Mr Joyce.

The release of the annual TIN report on the performance of New Zealand’s top hi-tech companies shows further rapid growth in revenues, exports, staff numbers, and research and development activity, says Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

The Technology Investment Network’s 2015 TIN Report reveals New Zealand’s TIN 200 companies collectively grew to $8.952 billion in annual revenue, a $600 million (7.3 per cent) increase over last year.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed the signing of the ‘Daejeon Declaration on Science, Technology and Innovation Policies for the Global and Digital Age’ at the OECD Ministers Meeting on Science and Technology hosted by the Korean Government.

Mr Joyce joined his counterparts from member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other non-OECD countries, at the science ministers’ meeting in Daejeon, Korea yesterday.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the appointment of Alison Barrass to the Callaghan Innovation Board.

Callaghan Innovation was established in 2013 to support science and technology-based innovation and its commercialisation by businesses, in order to improve their growth and competitiveness.

Using innovation and digital transformation to drive diversification of New Zealand’s economy is a major theme for the update of the Building Innovation chapter of the Business Growth Agenda.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today outlined the Government’s strategy for developing New Zealand into a hub for high-value and knowledge-intensive businesses that are conducting more research and development (R&D) to lift innovation.

Thank you for joining me here today as I launch the Government’s first ever National Statement of Science Investment.

I’d like to acknowledge those who took the time to make a submission on the draft National Statement of Science Investment when it was published last year.

The final NSSI responds to feedback on the Draft that asked for a document more focused on the future and with a more comprehensive plan for science in New Zealand.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has today announced changes to the International Relationships Fund to better support high-quality international science collaborations.

The changes follow an independent evaluation commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which determined that the fund was valued but that adjustments were required to improve its impact.

“International collaboration strengthens the capacity of our science system and ensures New Zealand remains at the forefront of new developments,” Mr Joyce says.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has today launched the inaugural National Statement of Science Investment (NSSI), which sets the long-term strategic direction for the Government’s investment in science.

“The NSSI provides a timely stocktake on the overall shape of our science system that will help determine where the next investments should be made.” Mr Joyce says.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has today unveiled a plaque at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou in acknowledgment of the strength of science collaboration between New Zealand and China.

The plaque represents the partnership between the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health and New Zealand’s Maurice Wilkins Centre, which collectively have formed the Joint Centre for Biomedicine.

Twelve of New Zealand’s most talented early to mid-career researchers have been awarded Rutherford Discovery Fellowships for 2015, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

The Fellowships foster the development of future research leaders by providing funding of up to $800,000 each over five years to cover salary and research costs. The funding is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the recipients of this year’s James Cook Research Fellowships, which are awarded to researchers recognised for leadership and sustained excellence in their field.

The four 2015 Fellows will each receive up to $200,000 over two years to undertake fulltime research.