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| Foundation for Research, Science and Technology | |
|---|---|
| Name | Foundation for Research, Science and Technology |
| Type | Public research funding agency |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Region served | New Zealand |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology was a New Zealand Crown entity responsible for investing in research and development, working with institutions such as Victoria University of Wellington, University of Auckland, University of Otago, Massey University and Lincoln University while interacting with international partners like European Union, National Science Foundation (United States), Australian Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Established amid policy changes linked to administrations such as the Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand and the Fifth National Government of New Zealand, it operated alongside agencies like Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Crown Research Institutes, Callaghan Innovation, Industrial Research Limited and the New Zealand Treasury.
The agency was created in the context of reforms undertaken by politicians including David Lange, Roger Douglas, Geoffrey Palmer and advisers connected to reports by Royal Commission on Social Policy (1988), KPMG, McKinsey & Company and reviews influenced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its establishment paralleled the transformation of institutions such as DSIR into Crown Research Institutes, and it interacted with entities like Science and Technology Select Committee (New Zealand), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology and policy debates involving figures such as Helen Clark and John Key. During its lifetime it experienced reviews similar to those affecting Innovation New Zealand, Technology New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and underwent restructuring that led to its functions being absorbed into Ministry of Science and Innovation and later into Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Its remit included strategic investment in areas highlighted by international collaborations with World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization and research agendas echoing the priorities of Human Frontier Science Program, European Research Council, CERN and NASA. The foundation engaged universities such as University of Canterbury, Auckland University of Technology, University of Waikato, Otago Polytechnic and institutes like AgResearch, NIWA, GNS Science, Plant & Food Research and Scion. It coordinated programs linked to competitions like Marsden Fund, James Cook Fellowship, Sir Peter Blake Trust, Prime Minister's Science Prize and funding mechanisms comparable to National Institutes of Health grants, engaging stakeholders from Business New Zealand, Federated Farmers of New Zealand, New Zealand Maori Council and research hubs such as Wellington Regional Innovation Project.
Grants and contracts were administered in schemes analogous to those by Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Australian Research Council, European Commission Horizon 2020 frameworks and national funds like Health Research Council of New Zealand, Royal Society of New Zealand, Foundation for Science and Technology (UK), National Institutes of Health and Canada Foundation for Innovation. Recipients included tertiary institutions like Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, specialised entities like Callaghan Innovation, Cawthron Institute, New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research, and private firms similar to Fisher & Paykel, Zespri, A2 Milk Company. Funding rounds echoed competitive processes associated with European Research Council Starting Grants, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development and collaborative calls with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand) and New Zealand Aid Programme.
Its governance structure featured a board model reminiscent of State Services Commission (New Zealand), with leadership positions comparable to posts in Ministry of Education (New Zealand), New Zealand Treasury, Statistics New Zealand, and reporting lines similar to those of Crown Research Institute chief executives. The foundation interfaced with oversight bodies such as the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Office of the Auditor-General (New Zealand), Treasury and parliamentary committees including the Science and Innovation Select Committee and the Public Expenditure Committee. Staff recruited from backgrounds at Landcare Research, AgResearch, DSIR, University of Otago, University of Auckland and international agencies like European Commission, United Nations Development Programme formed program teams, peer review panels and advisory groups linked to institutions such as Royal Society Te Apārangi.
It launched sectoral initiatives involving marine science with National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), agricultural research with AgResearch and Plant & Food Research, biotechnology projects akin to those funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, climate research collaborations with IPCC, CSIRO and MetService (New Zealand), and technology transfer efforts similar to Innovate UK and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). Large-scale initiatives connected to regional development echoed partnerships with Auckland Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Callaghan Innovation, Enterprise Ireland and international consortia such as Global Research Council.
The foundation influenced research capacity at universities including University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago, University of Canterbury and institutes like Cawthron Institute, GNS Science, NIWA, and contributed to commercialization pathways leading to ventures similar to Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Rakon, Aoraki Corporation and sectoral growth in exports such as those from Zespri and technology clusters around Auckland. Its legacy can be traced through successor arrangements in Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, ongoing programs like the Marsden Fund, and policy frameworks referenced in reviews by OECD, World Bank, Royal Society Te Apārangi and parliamentary inquiries that also involved stakeholders such as Federated Farmers, BusinessNZ, Māori Economic Development Commission and research networks including Utrecht University and University of Cambridge.