Otago disappointed by CoRE outcome

Tuesday 5 June 2007

Otago disappointed by CoRE outcome

The University of Otago’s academic leaders are frustrated and disappointed at the news the University will not be a home to a new Centre of Research Excellence.

The University put forward 10 proposals* as part of the Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE) funding round.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Geoff White says he is astounded that Otago remains without a centre.

“Otago is New Zealand’s most research-intensive university – according to a recent Ministry of Research, Science and Technology publication – and the university has just been ranked top for research quality by the Tertiary Education Commission. It is therefore difficult to believe that after this long, time-intensive CoRE bid process, Otago still has no major involvement in national centres of research excellence.

“Our 10 proposals included extensive collaboration with other universities and Crown Research Institutes and were based on major strengths at the University of Otago. They were highly focussed on issues of major national relevance, such as energy, aging, cancer, heart health, and obesity.

“Our proposals received outstanding reports from international referees, yet none were deemed worthy of funding.”

Professor White believes the weakness was in the process used to make the CoRE selections. “Much of the process was confused; and aspects of the selection framework left us concerned.”

“On the positive side, the work we did has helped to make Otago’s major research strengths more visible, and it has reinforced national and international collaboration.

“In the future, the University will be looking for other ways in which its major research strengths can contribute to the development of the Nation’s health and economy.

Otago Vice-Chancellor Professor David Skegg is overseas for a meeting with Malaysian Vice-Chancellors. He says the decision to fund only one new CoRE in this country sends a disheartening message to New Zealand scientists.

“There were 26 new applications for CoRES – 10 from Otago. Does the Government really believe that only one of these 26 was worth supporting? I suspect that some people do not realise how much time and money has gone into carefully developing proposals that have each involved multiple institutions. Sadly, the whole process has turned out to be a fiasco.”

The 10 Otago centres put forward were: Centre for Translational Cancer Research; Centre for Translational Research in Chronic Diseases (Obesity); Centre for Urban Health and Development; Families Young and Old Research Centre; Mental Health and Addiction Research Centre; New Zealand Energy Research Centre; Jack Dodd and Dan Walls Centre for Photonics and Ultra-cold Atoms; National Research Centre for Heart Health – Hauora Manawa; Sir Peter Blake Centre for Marine Research; and Webster Centre for Infectious Diseases.

ENDS

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