MARSDEN FUND AWARDS 2005

$39.4m allocated to new Marsden projects

A total of 79 new research projects will receive $39.4 million support over the next three years from the Marsden Fund, administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand This amount, the second-highest ever awarded in the Fund’s 10-year history, is part of the $38.169 million commitment of Government money in 2005/06 for cutting edge research, funded on the basis of excellence.

“The diversity of ideas submitted to the Fund is astounding”, says the new Chair of the Marsden Fund Council, Dr Garth Carnaby, “right across the board from the sciences, mathematics, social sciences, through to the humanities. I'm extremely proud of the research that the Marsden Fund supports."

Projects which will now get underway include research into an important molecule in cancer prevention, an investigation into the health and wealth of migrants, modelling of how spiders see their prey, monitoring of the predicted Mt Ruapehu lahar, and a mathematical approach to understanding a common breathing disorder.

Applications to the Fund are very competitive. Of the 897 preliminary proposals (699 Standard proposals and 198 Fast-Start proposals), 206 were asked to submit a full proposal. The total of 79 funded projects includes 24 Fast-Start projects. The Fast-Start programme is an initiative to give promising, early-career researchers the opportunity to explore an innovative idea, helping them to develop their skills and establish their careers.

Details of the awards are listed here (opens in a new window)

Press releases relating to a selection of these awards will be available shortly here.