University of Auckland welcomes boost in research funding

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

University of Auckland welcomes boost in research funding

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland, Professor Stuart McCutcheon applauded the Government’s increased support for the Marsden Fund.

In the 2016 Budget, the Government announced it would boost the Marsden Fund by $66 million over the next four years. The hotly contested Marsden Fund – a government fund administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand – is the country’s leading supporter of research projects driven by individual investigators.

Professor McCutcheon says: “The Marsden Fund supports our leading-edge research projects in science, engineering, maths, social sciences and humanities by providing grants for investigator-initiated research. It is highly sought after by New Zealand scientists and this ongoing support from the Government can ensure that our high-calibre research can continue.”

The increased boost in health research funding, outlined in a pre-Budget announcement last week, is also welcomed. The annual amount available for health research through the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) will increase progressively by 56 per cent from $77 million in 2015/16 to $120 million in 2019/20.

“Leading-edge research creates economic growth and increases our understanding of issues The University of Auckland is committed to developing research that helps our communities.”

ENDS

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