David Farrar: A simple science funding model

Shane Reti announced:

Following recommendations from the Science System Advisory Group, a single, independent board, called Research Funding New Zealand, will be established to make most funding decisions.

“The message from the science and research community has been loud and clear – the current funding system is too complex, too bureaucratic, and takes time and energy away from actual research,” says Dr Reti.

“So, this Government is simplifying the way we fund science, so our researchers can spend less time on paperwork and more time on discovery, innovation, and results that will grow our economy and benefit New Zealanders.

“Research Funding New Zealand will replace the multiple layers of decision-making, taking on the Endeavour, Marsden and Strategic Science Investment Funds – currently administered by three separate funding bodies.

This looks to be a very good move, not just because the Marsden Fund is removed from the uber woke Royal Society whose criteria for grants appears to have been how often an applicant could mention the Treaty of Waitangi.

I am a huge fund of science funding. Science is the key to discovery and why we are today so much better off than people 100 years ago.

But far too much of our science and health funding goes on political projects, rather than hard science. Hopefully this change will see a much greater focus in future on science funding going towards, well science!

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.