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Published 7 November 2024Marsden Fund invests in new cutting-edge research
Research with the potential to revolutionise childhood education, novel solutions to the climate and energy crises, and innovative approaches to overcome antimicrobial resistance are among the topics supported by the Marsden Fund Te Pūtea Rangahau a Marsden in this year’s investment round
The Marsden Fund invests in excellent research, enabling New Zealand researchers to pursue cutting-edge ideas. In this, the 30th anniversary year of the Marsden Fund, 113 grants are being awarded for potentially groundbreaking ideas in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, social sciences, and humanities.
The fundamental research projects selected for funding this year respond to a huge range of nationally and internationally important challenges. They will generate vital knowledge and contribute to the development of advanced skills and capability in New Zealand.
This year, one large, interdisciplinary project receives a Marsden Fund Council Award – the fifth to be conferred since the award was established in 2018. An international team led by Professor Elaine Reese (Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago), Professor Justin O’Sullivan (Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland) and Professor Vincent Reid (Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato University of Waikato), aims to address declining academic achievement and wellbeing among schoolchildren in Aotearoa New Zealand via an ambitious longitudinal study. The team has been awarded $1 million (ex GST) per year for the next three years for this research, which has potential to revolutionise childhood education on an international scale.
The Marsden Fund is awarding 69 Standard grants to established research leaders and their teams. Just over a third of the grants conferred this year are Fast-Start awards, designed to support exceptional early-career researchers to develop independence and advance their careers. Altogether, $75.82 million (excluding GST) is being invested in research across the three award categories.
Several funded projects will use gene technology to address issues in agriculture and human health. Two lay the groundwork for the production of stress-resilient crops by using genetic tools to delete key genes that relate to stress or circadian rhythms. Another will develop highly specific genetic methods of destroying specific cells and tissues, improving our ability to study disease and regeneration processes in the lab.
A number of projects grapple with the threat of increasing antimicrobial resistance. They aim to find solutions to this pressing public health issue by investigating how bacteria develop resistance, identifying new targets for antibacterial treatments, and discovering home-grown antimicrobials in our flora and fauna (in particular, native insects and tuatara).
Other research seeks novel solutions to the climate and energy crises, through the development of improved solar cells, design of “crystalline sponges” that can mop up methane, and optimisation of reactions that can transform organic waste into valuable fuels and chemicals.
Some projects also have their eyes on the stars – one leverages access to the world’s largest neutrino telescope to identify the origins of high-energy particles in the Milky Way, while others will study bacterial biochemistry in order to better identify signs of life on other planets.
Many of these projects have specific relevance for Aotearoa New Zealand, for example investigating the risk of national disasters, enabling biocontrol of invasive pests, and exploring facets of our unique culture, languages, and history.
Professor Gill Dobbie FRSNZ, Chair of the Marsden Fund Council, said this year’s projects are highly innovative and groundbreaking.
“The Marsden Fund has driven world-class research in New Zealand for thirty years. It supports and incentivises excellent researchers to work on their best and boldest ideas, leading to new knowledge, skills and global connections, with the potential for significant downstream impact for Aotearoa New Zealand. In this anniversary year, we are excited by the potential of this latest cohort of projects to deliver truly excellent outcomes for all New Zealanders.”
Competition for grants from the Marsden Fund is intense and follows a rigorous assessment process. The 2024 success rates for Fast-Start and Standard award applications were 12.1% and 10.6%, respectively, slightly lower than for 2023. The success rate for Marsden Fund Council Award applicants was 12.5%.
“Through the 30 funding rounds, we have continuously refined our assessment processes to ensure best practice. International peer-review means that these novel ideas have been tested on the global market and that the projects are of true world-class standard,” says Professor Dobbie.
All Marsden Fund grants are distributed over three years and are fully costed: paying for salaries, students and postdoctoral positions, institutional overheads, and research consumables.
Te Pūtea Rangahau a Marsden is managed by Royal Society Te Apārangi on behalf of the New Zealand Government with funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.