Frequently Asked Questions

 Contents

FAQs Around the 2025 changes

• Main Changes for 2025
• Benefits and Impacts
• Process, Guidelines and Panels
• Assessment, Scoring and Feedback
• Council Award
• Other

General FAQs

• Process, Guidelines and Panels
• Vision Mātauranga (VM)
• Team Composition
• Mentors (Fast-Start only)
• CVs
• Career Stage
• Other

FAQs Around the 2025 Changes

Main Changes for 2025

New Terms of Reference have been established for the Fund:

• Two new assessment criteria added around benefit and rationale:
  • All proposals must demonstrate how their research could be of economic, environmental or health benefit to Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Proposals should demonstrate a clear rationale for this research being undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Approximately 50% of funding will go towards supporting proposals which have the potential to result in economic benefits to Aotearoa New Zealand
• The Social Sciences and Humanities panels have been disestablished
• Scholarly impact has been changed to "quantifiable impact"

These changes have led to some alterations in the proposal structure:

• New section on “benefit” added, with:
  • Tick boxes indicating potential benefit categories (economic, environmental, health)
  • a 400-word statement to articulate a “Benefit and rationale for the research in New Zealand”.

Other changes for 2025:

• EOI summary changed to 200 words
• Narrative CV trial expanded to include all applicants across all grant categories
• Both CV templates updated with minor changes
• VM guidance updated
• % shares of VM themes will not be visible
• SEOs, % shares and keywords will be visible in the proposal
• References to Covid-19 removed

Benefits and Impacts

Q: Does the Fund still support blue skies research, or do all projects have to have direct applications for the environment, economy or health?

A: In line with the philosophy behind funding blue skies science, the demonstration of benefit does not have to be direct, or foreseeable, but rather that the area of research has potential benefit. This includes situations where the potential benefit is not imminent or accrued in a linear fashion.

Having a line of sight to potential impact means that each researcher and institution understands their part in the bigger picture, and how their activities could contribute directly, or indirectly, to the shared undertaking of delivering impact. 

Q: Is it true that Marsden is now 50% economic impact and 50% blue skies (discovery-led research)?

A: No. The Fund retains a strong focus on discovery-led research excellence across all funded proposals. Excellent research has the potential to lead to many benefits, including economic impacts. All Marsden proposals must demonstrate research excellence and identify at least one potential impact (economic, environmental, health). At the level of the Fund, all funded proposals will demonstrate research excellence and at least 50% of these will align with the potential for economic impacts.

Q: Do you have any tips for writing the new Benefits section?

A: The guidelines include advice on completing the Benefits section. You may want to consider:

• The likelihood, scale and extent of proposed benefits (this may be informed by reflecting on if and how research of this kind has generated benefits in the past)
• Alignment of the research with areas of growth or critical need for Aotearoa New Zealand
• What benefits are provided by carrying the research out in Aotearoa New Zealand, specifically (which might include why your team is well-placed to carry it out)

Q: The guidelines highlight "All proposals must demonstrate how their research could be of economic, environmental or health benefit to New Zealand”.  In the “core sciences” there are several areas that are not readily associated with direct impacts. Will these areas still be in scope? 

A: All research areas defined within the panel descriptors are considered to be in scope. These research areas will still need to show a potential for benefit, but benefits may be indirect or long-term. 

Q: What should we consider when thinking about the economic benefits of our research? 

A: Remember that the criterion asks for potential economic benefit, and that this benefit is likely to be in the medium- to long-term. You may want to look for examples of other research in the field that has led to economic impacts in the past.

Q: Is there a standardised method for assessing the Benefits section or does each panel determine its own approach?

A: The Marsden Council has had many discussions around building the guidelines and getting a consensus view. There may be some different interpretations on different panels due to the kinds of research that are done in those areas.

Q: Half of all funded projects awarded will need to show clear economic benefits to Aotearoa New Zealand. How will panels apply this criterion? Will each panel have to approve 50% of its proposals as having economic benefit? Or will this be decided across all panels, with some supporting more than 50% and others less?

A: At the conclusion of the full round, the Marsden Fund Council will observe the funded mix of proposals with the potential for economic impact and will ensure there is 50% (note 50% of funds, rather than 50% of projects).

Q: Are the panel guidelines regarding economic assessment available to applicants?

A: Yes, these are available on the website. They may be considered relatively unspecific in terms of benefit. For this reason, we are providing pre-assessment training of panellists along with conveners to ensure consistent understanding on how to navigate the various applications and approaches for assessment.

Q: Should in-text references for the Benefit statement be provided in this section or in the Reference section?

A: You should include references related to your Benefit statement in the 400-word “Benefits” text box 3D, NOT in the Reference section. 

Note that references here aren’t necessarily required, as the criterion is around the potential for impact so applicants can outline future possibilities.

Q: Is it possible to not tick any boxes for the Benefit section?

A: No – there is no N/A or “other” option. All applicants will need to choose one or more potential benefits (a new requirement).

Process, Guidelines, and Panels

Q: Could you comment on how panels will be appointed and what additional training will be done to address the changes in the Terms of Reference?

A: Details on our panel appointment process is on the Marsden Fund website. A wide net is cast when recruiting potential panellists. Potential panel members are put forward to the convenors, who are tasked with balancing discipline-specific expertise and expertise in evaluating benefits and impacts across their panel. 

All panel members have received the updated guidelines, which include information on the current Terms of Reference. We are also providing pre-assessment training of panellists along with conveners to ensure consistent understanding on how to navigate the various applications and approaches for assessment.

Q: Will the panel descriptors be changed to capture fields of research that have very important economic, environmental, and wellbeing value but have been cut as they were covered by social sciences and humanities?

A: There are no changes to panel descriptors for 2025.

Q: What will full proposals look like?

A: We expect that full proposal guidelines will be published in May. We expect that the full proposal will be similar to previous years, with the addition of 1 page to describe the potential benefits/impacts (similar to the EOI), and a public title and public summary in addition to the research title and research summary.

Assessment, Scoring, and Feedback

Q: How will the Research (section 3A) and Benefit (sections 3C/D) sections be weighted during the EOI assessment process?

A: Scores are not assigned to proposals section-by-section, but instead to the proposal as a whole through holistic assessment. The overall score considers all of the criteria, including research excellence, potential benefits and (if applicable) Vision Mātauranga. There is no specific weighting given to any one of these sections. 

Q: What does “research excellence” mean in Marsden? Has the definition of research excellence been updated?

A: This has not changed or been updated. Novelty, innovation, originality, insight and ambition remains as important criteria as ever. EOI guidelines contain the full assessment criteria.

Q: How will panels take into account that 50% of funds must go to proposals showing economic benefits?

A: This quota applies across the entire Marsden Fund, not for each panel individually. It will therefore be monitored by the Marsden Fund Council and not the panels. 

Q: Do you have a target for environmental and / or health benefits, similar to the 50% target for economic benefits?

A: No – the only target specified is economic 50%.

Council Award

Q: What are the expectations about the Marsden Fund Council Award with regards to the Benefits and VM sections?

A: The interdisciplinary criterion only applies to the Marsden Fund Council Award. The Benefits and VM sections apply to all categories of Marsden.

The Benefits section is the same for Marsden Fund Council Award applications as for Fast-Starts and Standards. The assessment criteria around benefits and rationale can be addressed generally in the "Assessment Criteria” section, and more specifically in the Benefits statement.

For Vision Mātauranga, the same section 2 is present as for Fast-Starts and Standards. If you identify that your research has Vision Mātauranga relevance, you will have a section in the proposed research template to describe this in more detail (similar to the full proposal round for Fast-Starts and Standards).

Other

Q: What constitutes a ‘Marsden Fund’ research question?

A: According to the Marsden Fund Terms of Reference:

• The Marsden Fund encourages New Zealand’s leading researchers to explore new ideas that may not be funded through other funding streams and fosters creativity and innovation within the science innovation and technology system. Exploring new ideas results in greater potential to develop of new technologies, products, boost economic growth, and enhance New Zealand’s quality of life.
• The Marsden Fund invests in excellent, investigator-led research aimed at generating new knowledge, with the potential for long-term economic, environmental or health benefit to New Zealand. It supports excellent research projects that advance and expand the knowledge base and contributes to the development of people with advanced skills in New Zealand.

Q: Do we still need to include COVID as a risk in the risk management plan?

A: No. We no longer require applicants to have a risk management plan for COVID-19. It is less likely now for COVID-19 to impact a large number of projects, and we will deal with this on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Will the size of the Fund reduce in 2025?

A: The recent changes are updating the Terms of Reference and the Investment Plan. Any funding level changes would follow the regular May 2025 budget process.

Q: Will applicants be asked to justify their SEO codes?

A: No. The codes will be used for NZRIS reporting (as in the last few years) and will be used for mapping what kinds of areas Marsden proposals/successful contracts are coming from. Although visible on the application, they won’t be part of the assessment (similar to the FOR codes and keywords).

Q: Will there be guidance about what SEO codes are considered economic?

A: Not at this stage. Panellists will focus more on the Benefits section (tick boxes and statement). Note that any proposal that ticks the “economic” box in the Benefits section will be counted as potential economic benefit.

Q: For the standard CV, can you delete sections that do not apply, like the narrative CV?

A: No. The standard CV is more of a form that’s filled in – the best thing to do is to leave all sections in and just write N/A if a particular section doesn’t apply. In contrast, the narrative CV is designed to be a narrative, and includes different sections to choose from – hence there is no need to have everything in if it doesn’t apply.

Q: Why does the standard CV look different from the one on MBIE's website?

A: Recently, MBIE, HRC and Marsden updated the CV templates (both narrative and standard) to be consistent across agencies. However, we are the first organisation to roll out the updated version. MBIE will use the updated templates in their next funding round.

Other FAQs

Process, Guidelines and Panels

Q: Do we need to have preliminary results to apply for a Marsden Fund grant?

A: No; however, it is a good idea to have preliminary results if you can. This will help convince the panel members that your brilliant idea is feasible.

Q: Can you apply for a Marsden Fund Fast-Start grant if you are on a fixed-term contract? (e.g., you are on a three-year, fixed-term contract?)

A: Talk to your line manager or Head of Department. If awarded, your organisation must support you for the duration of the Marsden Fund Fast-Start grant. 

Q: Are there any visa regulations for applicants?

A: We don't have visa requirements within the Marsden Fund guidelines, but we do have the requirement that you are employed at an Aotearoa New Zealand-based organisation for the duration of the grant. It is the responsibility of the host organisation to ensure that you are able to be employed in Aotearoa New Zealand for the duration of the grant. That may require some visa requirements for those coming into the country. We are not able to provide any Immigration New Zealand advice.

Q: Do I need to have graduated with my PhD by the EOI deadline to apply for a Fast-Start?

A: No. The EOI Guidelines state:” Recent graduates must have completed all requirements for conferment of their PhD by the EOI closing date in February”. If you have not had a chance to graduate, this would mean the receipt of a letter from your organisation confirming that you have completed all requirements for a PhD degree.

Q: How do I know which panel to apply to?

A: We recommend that if you are unsure of which panel to apply to that you seek advice, for instance from your research office or colleagues. You may also want to consider which journals you plan to publish in, and what fields those are in, or which fields your research seeks to advance. You can also view who is on each panel and get an idea of the expertise each panel covers on our Marsden Fund panels page.

Q 1) How do I choose the right panel for interdisciplinary research? 2) Can the panels cross-reference proposals to other panels in the case of cross-disciplinary research? 

A: 1) It’s a good idea to consider where the novel question of your proposal comes from. A way to think about this might be to ask yourself which journals the research will be published in. Another consideration might be the makeup of the panels, i.e. if specific panellists have expertise in relevant disciplines, that may influence your decision.  

2a) The option is available for convenors to suggest to an applicant that they move their proposal to a different panel - however, the applicant makes the final call on this.

2b) If a panel feels they do not have the expertise to assess a particular proposal, that panel can ask for input from a different panel.

Q: Can I exclude any panellists from reviewing my proposal?

A: It is not possible to exclude anyone in the panel from reviewing your proposal. 

Marsden Fund Panel members are active researchers with an excellent background in research. As these researchers will invariably have connections with some applicants, conflicts of interest will arise. Royal Society Te Apārangi takes the issue of conflict of interest very seriously.  The rules surrounding conflicts of interest for panellists can be found in the Guidelines for Council and panel members.

Q: Can I use tools such as ChatGPT to help write my proposal?

A: Yes, you can - but exercise caution. The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT presents an opportunity to assist researchers, but this may raise issues around authorship and intellectual property including copyright. Content produced by generative AI may be based on the intellectual property of others or may also be factually incorrect. It may also provide biased content. Therefore, if you do use generative AI tools to help craft your proposal, ensure you thoroughly check the output.

Note that all applicants will be required to sign a proposal declaration on the portal to confirm that they take full responsibility for the content of the proposal, the suitability and validity of cited sources, and originality of content, and to confirm that that proposal does not contain false or misleading information.

Q: “How you intend to do the research” is mentioned in the EOI abstract. Is this specifically referring to the methodology and how detailed are we expected to be?

A: Yes. You should provide a robust and reliable methodology to address your proposed research. You might have a brilliant idea, but the panel will want to see what methodology you're going to use and whether it's feasible or not. You only have one page, so you won’t be able to talk about it in massive detail, maybe one paragraph. It depends on how much else you have. It’s important to get the balance right. Sometimes a figure can help describe the methodology, particularly the objectives, steps, and how they fit together. Talk about the methodology with respect to each objective.

Q: Is it possible to switch between a Fast-Start and a Standard type of application between rounds?

A: No.

Assessment, Scoring and Feedback

Q: Do panels consider an applicant's record of previous grant applications?

A: The panel only have access to what is explicitly stated in your application. If you want to highlight past success in this area please include this.

Q: Does my track record need to be in a similar topic to my proposed research? Or could my proposed research be in a new area?

A: If your proposed research is moving into a new area for you, it is important to consider the team you have assembled around you. You need to convince the Panel that your proposed research is feasible. It is also worth considering how your previous research area has prepared you to enter this new area.

Q: My EOI has been successful. How will the external referees be chosen for my full proposal?

A: Panellists work with the Marsden Fund staff to suggest experts in the field. Marsden Fund staff will screen referee suggestions for any conflicts of interest with the applicants, and will send requests to potential referees. The research title, research summary, and keywords from your EOI will be used in referee requests.

Vision Mātauranga (VM)

Q: If a project does not have direct VM involvement, should that still be justified?

A: Yes. You need to identify which themes of VM apply to your research or are not applicable if there's no direct involvement. There is also a text box to explain your decision. The criterion around VM is that you must consider the relation of VM to the research even if it's not applicable. You need to say why, so the panel will know that you've engaged with the idea of VM, you've sought advice on it, these are your thoughts on why it's not relevant, etc.

Q: What is specifically expected of a VM section during the assessment?

A: Guidance on Vision Mātauranga for applicants is available on the website. In the first instance, you should identify which (if any) themes your project aligns to. You should also provide rationale, reasoning or reflections as to why your research aligns to any particular theme or not. In the Full Round there is more space to expand on VM.

Q: In the VM section, if some of it is relevant, is the expectation for the percentage to be 100% or add up to 100? For example, if applicable, can the percentage just be 20 or 50%?

A: The relevance does not need to add up to 100% across all themes - each is measured independently. The percentage that you provide should indicate how much of the research you're proposing aligns with a particular theme. For example, if all of your research is in line with taiao environment then 100% of the work you're going to do is in line with this theme. But there might also be health benefits of 20%. So you could end up with a number like 120%. Alternatively, you may have only a small part of your project aligned to a theme, in which case your total may be 10 or 20%. It really depends on the nature of your proposal. The percentages are not used for evaluating your proposal (and this year, will not be shown to panellists at all) - instead, they are collected for reporting purposes to measure VM engagement across the sector at large. 

Q: Are we less likely to be funded if we signal that our project has no major VM input? 

A: No, as long as you clearly explain why VM is not relevant to the project. However, if you tick 'no' on a project that directly engages taonga or Māori people, then this may reflect poorly on your proposal. 

Q: If our project has a VM component, do we need to list our VM partners as AIs or collaborators?

A: This will depend on their contribution to the research. If they are advising, then they may be included as part of an advisory committee or potentially as collaborators. If they are going to be contributing to the research itself, then they should be AIs. Knowledge should be recognised appropriately as intellectual or occupational input and resourced appropriately. So this is a question to have with your partners in the first instance.

Q: Can I request a subcontract for my Māori partner in research, and where on the application can I state their involvement?

Yes. Please state in the Roles and Resources section who they are, and that they would be subcontracted, should you receive funding. This can often be through a company (for example they may have one set up already), another organisation, or an iwi or hapū.

Team Composition

Q: Does an overseas AI have any advantage compared to an Aotearoa New Zealand AI with the same skills and duties?

A: No - the panellists will be looking to make sure your team has the skills required for your project. Overseas and national AIs with the same skillset are therefore equally valuable in terms of panel assessment. Overseas AIs are likely to be cheaper than national AIs, since their salary cannot be paid from the Marsden Fund . However, keep in mind that co-ordinating with overseas AIs may be more challenging than those that are based in Aotearoa.  

Q: Is it possible to change the team composition (e.g., add an AI) after the proposal is submitted?

A: No, you can't usually do that. You need to think about your team carefully at the EOI round because you can't change it if you get through to the next round.

Q: Can a panellist be an AI?

A: Not on a proposal which is being submitted to their own panel. They could be an AI on a proposal going to a different panel, however.

Q: Does the 0.05 FTE minimum requirement for AIs apply to all three years of the project or just for each year the AI is involved?

A: The 0.05 FTE requirement for AIs does not have to apply across all three years – e.g., if particular skills are only required for part of the project, they can be listed as 0.05 FTE for the relevant year(s) and zero for the remainder.

Q: Should I add collaborators who aren’t named investigators to the Roles and Resources section?

A: You can. Please keep in mind – what is it they are adding to the project? Your project should be investigator-led, so collaborations naturally play more of a supporting/auxiliary role.

Q: Can you expand on the decision to select an AI versus a collaborator?

A: An AI is somebody who has a direct scholarly or intellectual input into the research project. They may also even be doing some of the project work. They are part of the Key Personnel – the Investigation Team.  

We regularly see researchers named as collaborators in proposals who are identified in the roles and resources, but are not part of the team (not a named AI). This is tricky to deal with from Marsden’s point of view as we do not have a clearly defined role for a collaborator and  there is no CV for them. Sometimes they will be part of a researcher’s network and provide advice / access to some resources (e.g.), other times they are going to be providing scholarly input.

From Marsden’s point of view, any collaborator should really be recognised and alternatively listed as an AI with a CV, etc, if they are going to have a scholarly input into the research.  It is also a risk naming a collaborator in the roles and resources if they are not aware of being named / haven’t agreed to advise. We do not have a formal collaborator role well defined in Marsden, so that is where we are coming from. It also causes more conflicts for panellists which they only realise when reading through the proposal (rather than checking named team members).

We also regularly see collaborators named in proposals if they are in an advisory role, for example. The caveat is that panellists will see this and might ask why they are not an AI, so if researchers do decide not to include them as AIs, we’d recommend that researchers clearly define what the “collaborator” role is in roles and resources.

Q: Can project PhD students be registered with an overseas AI collaborator and their stipend sent overseas?

A: No. Marsden currently only supports PhD students living in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Mentors (Fast-Start only)

Q: Can you please provide some comment on distinguishing AI and mentor in terms of project contribution?

A: A mentor is somebody who will provide guidance on project management and career development. They do not give scholarly input into your proposed research. They do not do any of the following; plan the proposal, design the study, collect data, analyse data, write up. If they have any of these roles, they need to be an AI instead. A mentor is an experienced person who you can look up to and ask questions about how to how to navigate organisational processes. They would often be in your department or faculty.

Q: Should a mentor be someone from the same organisation as you, or can they be from an external organisation?

A: Ideally, your mentor will be somebody from your own organisation, because they will be able to provide you with organisation-specific advice. However, you can have an external mentor - you may want to do this if you have a pre-existing 'mentor' relationship with a senior colleague at another organisation.

Q: No CV is required for mentors, but is there any requirement for their level of seniority/career stage? 

A: If they are senior to you in their career stage, then that's clearly useful. They simply need to know the ropes. It is likely they might be a little bit more senior than you, but there is no requirement that they have to be professorial.

CVs

Q: How should I build my CV for the Marsden Fund?

A: Try to build a narrative around your research and expertise, i.e., what makes you the best person to conduct the proposed research.

Consider the full diversity of your research impacts including: professional distinctions and memberships, publications, presentations, reports, community relationships and outreach, wānanga, conference organisation, patents, policy contributions, collaborations, mentorship roles, public/media engagement, industry contributions, exhibitions, software and analysis tools, etc…

Your CV will be judged relative to opportunity, with career achievements assessed in the context of career history, allowing for breaks for family or other responsibilities. Any career breaks should be listed in your CV.

Remember that you also have the option of submitting a narrative CV.

Q: How do I decide which type of CV, narrative versus standard, is most appropriate?

A: We encourage you to seek advice from your Research Office. Some general suggestions might include considering the way your career has developed. For example, if you have done a lot of non-traditional work and you would like to frame your career in a more narrative style, then the narrative CV may work better for you. If you have had a more traditional career path and have lists of appointments, papers and affiliations that you would like to order this way, then the standard CV may work better for you.

Q: Do we need to provide CVs formatted according to the guidelines for overseas Associate Investigators, or just for Aotearoa New Zealand-based Associated Investigators?

A: Yes, every applicant needs to use the same CV template, either narrative or standard.

Q: For the CV template, should it be no more than five pages in total for part one and part two combined?

A: The total maximum of pages for the CV is five. There is no separate page limit for part one and part two.

Q: In the new CV template, the notes say that instructions in italics can be deleted. Is it okay to also delete rows or sections that are not applicable and or make the labels smaller?

A: In the narrative CV, you can delete sections that are not applicable. In the standard CV, please leave all sections there even if you are not filling them in. Please DO NOT reduce the size of any labels. Keeping everything as standardised as possible.

Q: Regarding the standard CV template, Part 2a - Can we remove the boxes for publication types that do not apply, such as conference proceedings?

A: Do NOT delete anything in the standard CV template. If a specific section does not apply to you, please leave it blank.

Career Stage

Q: Do Fast-Start applicants with career breaks require pre-approval or eligibility confirmation from Royal Society, including the career calculator?

A: Not necessarily. If you have questions about whether you are eligible or not, then it is a good idea to use the Career Breaks Calculator. If you do have any specific questions, please email us. You can also provide some commentary on career breaks in your CV. Your Research Office can also help with your eligibility questions.

Q: Does career stage affect how research capability is assessed in both Fast-Start and Standard applications?

A: Yes, track record relative to opportunity is assessed by the panels for both types of application.

Other

Q: How do you apply for a Marsden PhD scholarship?

A: Marsden does not fund standalone PhD scholarships – rather, they are included in a funded project, so it isn’t possible to apply directly to Marsden for one.

We suggest looking at current funded projects and keeping your eyes peeled for Marsden PhD scholarship opportunities advertised - usually, the contact investigator will recruit potential students and publicise opportunities.

For a list of questions and answers that were asked at our 2025 Marsden Q&A Webinar Sessions - see here