Advanced networking capability investment

22 March 2007

$2.6 million invested in advanced networking capability

Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ®) has awarded over $2.6 million to ten projects in the first round of its Working Group and Development Fund. This fund is aimed at developing capability around the use of KAREN® (the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network) and advanced networking techniques.

The ten successful projects are led by eight KAREN member organisations, including five universities and three Crown research institutes, and span the fields of e-research, microbiology, earthquake engineering, bioinformatics, grid computing and the social sciences.

“The high quality and relevance of the majority of applications received is an important positive sign of the uptake and application of KAREN to support the ongoing development of leading edge research and education techniques,” says Donald Clark, Chief Executive of REANNZ.

“The winning applications embody the elements key to the future of research – national and international collaboration, and the use e-research technologies and infrastructure to do this”, says Donald.

One example of a winning project is the Integrated Genomics Resources for Health and Disease project, led by Dr Chris Brown from the University of Otago. Funding will enable Dr Brown and his team to combine versions of a New Zealand generated human genomic sequence and related gene expression data with data from the US and Europe by using KAREN. This combined data will be valuable to international medical and biotechnology researchers. (A short description of each successful project is attached.)

Donald says “The success of the first round of the Capability Build Fund demonstrates that KAREN members are wasting no time in taking advantage of the huge increases in capacity and connectivity provided by this essential infrastructure. The vision and desire are there. KAREN now makes these a reality.”

About KAREN
KAREN (Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network) provides high capacity, ultra high-speed connectivity between New Zealand’s tertiary institutions, research organisations, libraries, schools and museums, and the rest of the world. www.karen.net.nz

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