Our role

To prepare for our biggest challenges, we need evidence based information that will help us to understand the issues and make good decisions on what to do. This is why exploring and creating knowledge, sharing that knowledge and celebrating it has been, and always will be, critical to a thriving New Zealand.

We do this through public outreach, education, and by supporting the research community. We also provide advice and information to government and the public on issues of public concern.

We celebrate those at the top of their fields with medals, awards and prizes; and provide standards of ethics and professional behaviour which our members have to abide by.

Our experts are brought together to make transparent, effective decisions about who gets research funding and access to learning opportunities. They also help us provide evidence based independent advice to the public and government.

We are an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation.  People can join us as friends, affiliated members, professional members or be elected as Fellows or Companions.

Our functions

We advance and promote research and scholarly activity, the pursuit of knowledge.

Our act talks about science, technology and humanities. In practice that includes engineering, applied science, and social sciences; and effectively the pursuit of knowledge in general.

We foster a culture that supports science, technology, and the humanities by:

• raising public awareness, knowledge, and understanding
• advancing education.

We will encourage, promote, and recognise excellence.

We support infrastructure for professional development.

We maintain a Code of Professional Standards and Ethics.

We provide expert advice on important public issues.

We do all other lawful things conducive to advancement and promotion of research and scholarly activity.

You can read our Act for more.