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New Research and Development (R&D) Growth Grants expected to be worth more than $32 million over three years have been awarded to another 22 high tech companies by Callaghan Innovation, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

“These grants are helping a large number of innovative companies that produce world-leading, high-value products and high-quality jobs for New Zealanders to invest even more in innovation, boost growth and increase exports,” Mr Joyce says.

Ten of New Zealand’s most talented early to mid-career researchers have been awarded Rutherford Discovery Fellowships for 2014, 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 that $139 million over six years will be invested in new science research programmes.

The 48 research programmes receiving funding in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) 2014 science investment round  are in the biological industries, high-value manufacturing and services, energy and minerals, environmental, and health and society sectors.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today launched the Sustainable Seas Ko Ngā Moana Whakauka National Science Challenge and confirmed initial funding of $31.3 million over five years.

The Government has announced a new initiative to develop better housing and urban environments as part of its programme of National Science Challenges.

Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities – Ko ngā wā kāinga hei whakamāhorahora was one of the areas identified by the National Science Challenges Panel in 2013 where science has the potential to significantly benefit New Zealand. This is the eleventh National Science Challenge to be announced by the Government.

The Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities Challenge will deliver:

The National Science Challenge – New Zealand’s Biological Heritage Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho – is to receive funding of $25.8 million over five years for research to protect and manage the country’s biodiversity, improve our biosecurity, and enhance our resilience to harmful organisms.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says the Challenge spans a wide range of scientific disciplines and will include researchers from nearly all New Zealand’s relevant research institutions.

New Zealand’s science and research collaboration with the United States has been further strengthened following joint talks in Auckland yesterday and today by senior New Zealand and US officials and researchers, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.

Mr Joyce led the New Zealand delegation at the 4th meeting of the New Zealand/United States Joint Commission on Science and Technology Cooperation. The US delegation was led by Jonathan Margolis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Science, Space and Health in the US Department of State.

The arrival of around 2000 top international scientists and researchers in Auckland later this month will make New Zealand the focus of the world science community, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.

The scientists are in New Zealand for a series of meetings to be held under the umbrella of World Science Week New Zealand.  The week brings together a range of major international science summits alongside a series of public science lectures.    

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed the announcement that Kathmandu will become the second large private sector company to headquarter itself in Christchurch's new innovation precinct.

Kathmandu announced today it will locate its new worldwide head office within the Precinct, and will be bringing in over 150 staff including its product design, systems and online development teams to the central city location.

Around 330 future Kiwi innovators will be able to benefit from R&D Student Grants announced today by Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

The Government has this year made more than $4 million worth of R&D Student Grants available through Callaghan Innovation to 154 businesses to hire up to 328 students with science, technology, engineering, design, or business degrees to do R&D-related work experience.

Research and Development (R&D) Growth Grants expected to be worth more than $41m over three years have been approved for 23 high tech companies by Callaghan Innovation, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

“These are innovative companies producing world-leading, high-value products and high-quality jobs for New Zealanders. They are all proven businesses that have committed to investing in R&D in this country,” Mr Joyce says.

Funding of $24 million over five years has been approved for New Zealand’s second National Science Challenge - The Deep South Challenge Te Kōmata o Te Tonga, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.

The Deep South Challenge will be hosted by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and conducted by researchers across seven organisations including Victoria University of Wellington, the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute, Antarctica New Zealand, GNS Science, Landcare Research, and the University of Otago.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today launched the Government’s action plan to encourage engagement with science and technology across all sectors of New Zealand.

A Nation of Curious Minds: He Whenua Hirihi I te Mahara – is the blueprint for the Science in Society Project and has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry of Education with close involvement from the office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. 

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the Government is investing just over $1 million to help entrepreneur-driven ICT start-up companies become investment ready.

The investment is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Accelerator Programme pilot, which supports the rapid formation of early stage ICT and digital technology start-ups.

The programmes are typically run over three months, and prepare start-up companies to be investment ready.

New Zealand’s nationwide network of business incubators is being expanded, with the introduction of a new type of technology-focused incubator designed to get more high-growth start-ups off the ground, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

The list of incubators approved by the Callaghan Innovation Board includes three of the new technology-focused incubators and five founder-focused incubators, previously known as Business Incubators. The technology-focused incubators will have access to the pilot repayable grant programme announced in Budget 2013.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye today invited seven organisations to participate in a Request for Proposals (RfP) to host the Food Safety Science and Research Centre.

“The Centre is being established to promote, co-ordinate, and deliver food safety science and research, in response to a key recommendation from the Government Inquiry into the Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) Contamination incident,” Ms Kaye says. 

Government-owned company Research and Educational Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd (REANNZ) has entered into a $65 million anchor tenancy contract with Hawaiki Cable Ltd for its proposed new international telecommunications cable, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams announced today.

The Government’s whole of contract contribution secures a 25-year anchor tenancy on the cable for REANNZ, which operates New Zealand’s high-performance research and education broadband network.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced a number of appointments to the boards of New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and Research & Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd (REANNZ).

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced that the Government will invest NZ$1.75 million to fund New Zealand-Singapore collaborative research projects on the development of food products with validated health benefits. 

New Zealand’s investment will be matched by Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), bringing the total investment amount to approximately NZ$3.5 million over two years.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the appointment of Dr Charlotte Marewa Severne to the Science Board for a term of three years.

The Science Board is responsible for making independent decisions on the allocation of funding used predominantly by research organisations for science, technology, research, and related activities.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced a total of $78 million in health research funding as part of the 2014 Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand’s funding round.

The funding will cover 50 new Projects ($56 million), 4 new Programmes ($20 million), and 14 Emerging Researcher First Grants ($2.02 million), and has increased significantly from last year due to the release of funds from maturing contracts.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today released the spatial framework for the Christchurch Innovation Precinct and announced that Vodafone's new South Island headquarters will anchor the precinct.

The Innovation Precinct will bring together businesses, innovators, and an ICT graduate school, alongside residential, retail, hospitality and professional service providers to create a vibrant and exciting new part of Christchurch.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today released the Government's first draft National Statement of Science Investment (NSSI), which sets out the current settings and proposed future priorities for Government’s science investment, for public feedback.

Innovative businesses are invited to apply for funding to hire students for internships and work experience as part of Callaghan Innovation’s R&D Student Grants scheme.

R&D Student Grants, administered by Callaghan Innovation, are available to R&D active companies in New Zealand to employ up to 70 Masters and PhD graduates and 200 undergraduate, honours, and postgraduate diploma or certificate students with science, technology, engineering, design, or business qualifications.