Research funding in Aotearoa New Zealand—Threats, trajectories, and the potential for transformation

Details

For many generations, Aotearoa has invested comparatively little, certainly by OECD standards, in research and development (R and D). Moreover, since 2020–21, government funding of R and D via the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has declined by about 35% in real terms and, based on Budget 2025, is projected to fall further by the end of the decade. Similarly, the real value of the Performance–Based Research Fund (now called the Tertiary Research Excellence Fund (TREF), the largest single source of research funding for tertiary education institutions, has declined by about 25% since 2019–20 and is also projected to fall further in real terms by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, government investment in R and D as a proportion of GDP peaked in 2013. Business investment in R and D, on the other hand, has grown significantly over recent decades and especially since 2019, including in real terms.

This talk will explore recent trends and developments with respect to public and private expenditure on R and D in Aotearoa, discuss the reasons for, and implications of, the country's long-standing low investment in R and D, outline the principles and considerations that should inform how R and D is funded, and offer some reflections on whether and how R and D investment might be boosted.

The event can also be accessed via zoom. 

Bio  

Jonathan Boston, ONZM, is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. His research interests include climate change policy and anticipatory governance. Recent books include A Radically Different Planet: Preparing for Climate Change (BWB, 2024).