Four groups short-listed to be Centres of Research Excellenc

4 groups short-listed to be Centres of Research Excellence

Four groups have been shortlisted for three available places in the latest funding round for Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs).

Following an initial assessment process four groups, the Bio-Protection Research Centre (Lincoln University), The Riddet Institute (Massey University), QuakeCore: Centre for earthquake resilience (University of Canterbury) and Gravida: National centre for growth and development (University of Auckland), have been short-listed by the CoREs selection committee.

The four short-listed groups have been selected from 13 proposals, and will host site visits next month from the selection committee as part of the next stage of the assessment process. Following the site visits the selection committee will recommend up to three groups for funding as CoREs. The TEC Board will make the final funding decisions in May.

“When in place the three selected CoREs will support New Zealand to maintain and deliver leading edge, world class research. If New Zealand is to continue to grow and prosper as a country both economically, environmentally and socially the work of these new CoREs together with CoREs currently in operation will be vital,” said Tertiary Education Commission chief executive Tim Fowler.

Three of the short-listed groups are currently operating as CoREs while the QuakeCore: Centre for earthquake resilience is the only new potential CoRE.

In addition to the selection process currently underway for three new CoREs a selection process is also being undertaken to identify a CoRE focused on Māori.

CoREs have been operating in New Zealand since 2002 and in that time the Government has provided over $434.5 million in funding to current and previous CoREs.

Six CoREs were successful in the 2013/14 funding round, they are: The Maurice Wilkins Centre (University of Auckland), The MacDiarmid Centre (Victoria University), The Medical Technologies CoRE (University of Auckland), the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (Otago University), Te Punaha Matatini – The Centre for Complex Systems and Networks (University of Auckland), and Brain Research NZ (University of Otago and University of Auckland).

ENDS

© Scoop Media