- Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall
The Government has announced funding for 71 scientific research projects that seek to address some of our biggest challenges such as climate change, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today.
"The Endeavour Fund provides investment in projects will help build a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy to improve the wellbeing of all living in New Zealand.
"The Government is focused on building a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy, and the projects we are announcing today play a key role in helping to deliver that," Dr Verrall said.
"We're supporting and investing in research which will have future potential economic benefits as well as addressing some of our biggest challenges such as climate change.
"Some of the successful projects include developing new technology to reduce geothermal carbon emissions, forecasting future threats such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and utilising AI to make future weather and climate projections", Dr Verrall said.
"As well as finding ways to protect Māui dolphins from toxoplasmosis, creating soilless precision farming via ultraclean water production, zero-emissions removal of nitrate from wastewater and using robotic fish to enable effective coastal kaitiakitanga.
Another priority for the fund is to support Vision Mātauranga, which aims to unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge.
"Our research priorities include tackling long-standing social issues, transitioning into low emissions and climate resilience, and building a more knowledge-intensive economy.
"The science and innovation community are coming up with solutions to tackle some of our most important issues, this funding will help them to carry out their important work.
The Endeavour Fund is New Zealand's largest contestable funding system to select excellent research proposals that will provide the highest potential impacts across a range of economic, environmental and societal objectives to transform our future. $236.5 million has been allocated in this funding round to 71 projects.
