Get out your microscopes – Collins says the Marsden Fund will focus on something called “science”
David Farrar has been railing in recent weeks against the Royal Society of New Zealand’s management of the Marsden Fund – or is it mismanagement?
The society’s demotion of “science” in its priorities when deciding who should benefit from the fund gave rise to these headlines on Kiwiblog:
The latest Marsden Fund spending
Marsden Fund goes even more woke
More on Marsden funding
Today the headline on a Kiwiblog post is Marsden Fund dewoked.
The dewoking is the work of Science Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins, who has announced the Government has updated the Marsden Fund to focus on core scientific research that helps lift our economic growth and contributes to science with a purpose.
The new Investment Plan focuses on supporting research that can be of economic, environmental or health benefit to New Zealand. The new Terms of Reference outline that approximately 50 per cent of funds will go towards supporting proposals with economic benefits to New Zealand.
“The Marsden Fund will continue to support blue-skies research, the type that advances new ideas and encourages innovation and creativity and where the benefit may not be immediately apparent. It is important that we support new ideas which lead to developing new technologies and products, boosting economic growth, and enhancing New Zealand’s quality of life,” Ms Collins says.
“The focus of the Fund will shift to core science, with the humanities and social sciences panels disbanded and no longer supported. Real impact on our economy will come from areas such as physics, chemistry, maths, engineering and biomedical sciences.
Farrar enthuses:
This is a great and badly needed decision. I have covered many times how a growing proportion of the Marsden Fund was going on identity politics research, wokeism and social sciences.
A focus on core science is desperately needed. Now we just need to make sure that those deciding on the applications are not the usual suspects.
The Government is also focusing the Catalyst Fund on “clear growth areas of quantum technology, health, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, space, and Antarctic research”
Farrar concludes:
Sadly critical research such as disabled indigenous stories about climate change and decolonising ocean worlds from imperial borders will no longer get taxpayer funding – well not until the next Labour Government!
Collins’ announcements can be found in the latest bunch of ministerial statements on the government’s official website:
Among other Beehive highlights are –
- The Government has released its Māori Education Action Plan which sets out its approach to deliver better outcomes in the classroom for Māori students. Chances are that by the time we have posted this Buzz report, Stanford will have been vilified for not consulting Maori adequately, for failing to deliver an acceptable action plan, or some such. There might even be a threat to go to the Waitangi Tribunal.
- The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) auction today has resulted in a partial clearance. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is making the most of this, saying it shows work to restore credibility in the market is working.
- Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts have announced “clear rules” to limit farm to forestry conversions entering the Emissions Trading Scheme. Now let’s wait to see who grouches first.
- The Government has received the independent review on New Zealand’s biogenic methane science and targets.
- New rules are to be introduced to require fuel companies to hold at least 10 days of jet fuel near the country’s busiest airport to provide resilience against supply disruptions.
- The Government has agreed to fund new courthouses for Whanganui and Papakura.
Latest from the Beehive
4 December 2024
The Government will carefully consider the findings of the independent review on New Zealand’s biogenic methane science and targets, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts, and Associate Ministers of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard, and Mark Patterson have announced today.
The Government has agreed to fund new courthouses for both Whanganui and Papakura to help improve access to justice and court timeliness, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Minister Nicole McKee say.
The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) auction today has resulted in a partial clearance, showing work to restore credibility in the market is working, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins today announced an updated plan for the Catalyst Fund to be laser focused on clear outcomes and priority research areas.
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins today announced the Government has updated the Marsden Fund to focus on core scientific research that helps lift our economic growth and contributes to science with a purpose.
The Government has released its Māori Education Action Plan which sets out its approach to deliver better outcomes in the classroom for Māori students, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says it is important employees are not rewarded in the personal grievance system for poor behaviour or performance and is introducing changes to personal grievances to strengthen employee accountability.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts have today announced clear rules to limit farm to forestry conversions entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
New rules will be introduced that require fuel companies to hold at least 10 days of jet fuel near the country’s busiest airport to provide resilience against supply disruptions.
New Zealand’s international education sector is rebounding strongly, up 24 per cent year-on-year and 6 per cent above 2023 totals, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says.
Speech
3 December 2024
When I was delegated responsibility for the ECE Sector from the Minister for Education it became immediately clear that my focus had to be on reducing red tape and regulatory obstacles for the early learning sector.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
No comments:
Post a Comment