Partnerships for science excellence
We create the best teams to research sustainability issues of national significance.
 Measuring rimu seedlings with Tuawhenua Trust (Tūhoe). |
Manaaki Whenua’s commitment to developing the best teams to research issues of national significance is clearly demonstrated by the number of formal partnership arrangements we have with other research organisations. This year has seen a significant broadening of collaborative research through a number of new agreements with Māori organisations.
Working with Government
We continued partnerships with public good agencies, undertaking research contracts totalling $6.9 million for the Department of Conservation (DOC), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), the Ministry for the Environment (MfE), and the Animal Health Board (AHB). Close contractual partnerships, regular meetings and involvement of staff from those agencies in our research help ensure our science is aligned with their needs.
Working with universities
Two significant new joint research ventures were established — the New Zealand Institute of Ecological Economics (NZCEE) with Massey University, and the Centre for Urban Ecosystems Studies with the University of Auckland. Both ventures are supported by new PGS&T funding.
We continued our policy of fostering stronger partnerships with universities. We provided lectures, and supervised 58 PhD and 30 masterate students during the year. Seventy university staff and students were involved in Manaaki Whenua research programmes. We subcontracted $0.9 million — 3.4% of our total PGS&T revenue — to universities.
More than 50 staff hold honorary lectureship and research associate positions with New Zealand and overseas universities.
“NZCEE is a unique opportunity to truly integrate ecology
and economics. Conceptual and professional isolation of these two disciplines
in the past has led to economic and environmental policies that are mutually
destructive rather than reinforcing”
Professor Murray Patterson
Director, NZCEE
Iwi – science educational resources
Ngā Pae o te Maramatanga Centre of Research Excellence (CORE) funded us and the University of Waikato to develop materials for the secondary schools science curriculum. These will link mātauranga Māori with conventional mainstream science (including our resource databases), and provide opportunities for Māori students to work on science initiatives within their own iwi or hapū.
Other new research contracts with Māori
We commenced a PGS&T-funded project to support the development of indigenous forest management on Tuawhenua Trust (Tūhoe) land. And we also won new PGS&T funding to research the development of Māori eco-cultural tourism — $250,000 of the $480,000 per annum contract will go to our Māori research partners.
PGS&T subcontracting
We continued to subcontract significant levels of our PGS&T programmes — $3.2 million or 12.4% of our total PGS&T revenue — to other Crown Research Institutes, universities, iwi groups, and other organisations.
|
|
Dr David Penman
Email 
Research Manager Phone: (03) 325 6700 |
Talk
to us! 
n
our website  Back |
Next |