The Capability Fund: maintaining and expanding the value of our science skills
This was the inaugural year of the Capability Fund, administered by MoRST. Its predecessor, Non-Specific Output Funding (NSOF), was previously our key vehicle for developing new business opportunities and, where the long-term national benefit was clear, maintaining capability through funding peaks and troughs. The Capability Fund is to assist CRIs to retain and develop capability for the benefit of New Zealand. Here we report specifically on the use of this fund, as required by the Crown Company Monitoring Advisory Unit (CCMAU), which monitors CRIs’ outcomes against SCI and Business Plan targets.
Funds ($4.303 million GST incl.) were allocated within three key areas:
- Existing capabilities – maintain and enhance: used particularly when funding shortfalls occur. This allows affected teams or individuals to develop new revenue streams.
- New and emerging capabilities: moving existing teams/ individuals into new areas, recruiting new skills.
- Over-the-horizon: anticipating future issues and opportunities.
Within those categories funding was allocated to support young scientists through postgraduate qualifications, postdoctoral fellowships, and further training or retraining for existing staff. The fund also allows for strategic recruitments to be made and although two were planned, none was appointed during the year.
Projects supported through the Capability Fund include research on ecological restoration, animal welfare, pest toxins, soil management, remote sensing and carbon sequestration.
Breakdown of investment relative to the SCI target
| Amount ($000) | % | SCI % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Existing capabilities | 670 | 15 | 10 |
| B. | New and emerging capabilities | 2700 | 63 | 70 |
| C. | Over-the-horizon | 233 | 6 | 7 |
| D. | Environmental technologies | 180 | 4 | 4 |
| E. | Fellowships and training | 400 | 9 | 9 |
| F. | Within-year initiatives | 120 | 3 | - |
| TOTAL | 4303 | |||
A significant portion of the funding was also directed to opportunities in the urban and business sustainability science areas, in line with our overall strategy to develop these two areas of research and consultancy. Our “over-the-horizon” capability area had a strong focus on the ability of clay-based nanotechnology to be used for environmental remediation. Other Capability-funded projects are featured below and identified throughout the report.
Biodiversity assessment
Building on a number of previous projects, we developed new conceptual and methodological approaches to biodiversity performance assessment and prioritisation. This work is being undertaken with end-users so that the tools produced will be readily implemented.
Biosafety
We continued support in biosafety research on invertebrate mutualisms in natural and managed systems. We tested a hypothesis about blossom class and syndrome theory in pollination, and the relative roles of native and exotic insects as potential pollinators of native and exotic plants.
Emerging diseases
There is an increasing global trend of disease emergence that can sometimes have catastrophic consequences for humans, the environment, wildlife, and domestic stock. Studies were begun on avian malaria and Johne’s disease, emerging diseases of concern for native birds and domestic stock (specifically deer), respectively. Strains of avian malaria have been identified and a survey for Johne’s disease in wildlife completed.
Wildlife DNA
Capability funding has been used to develop core capability and technical skills in theoretical application of mark–recapture models based on molecular genetic markers.
Improved surveillance strategies
This research focuses on the development of cost-eff ective surveillance systems for the detection of rare species or incursions of new exotic pests (and pathogens) into an area. Using exotic ant pests as a case study, we are developing novel Bayesian statistical techniques for quantifying the probability that a pest species is present, given it has not been detected by monitoring.
Weed biocontrol
Our aim is to advance generic research using micro-organisms for environmental weed biocontrol. To date we have increased fundamental knowledge of the population dynamics and interactions between beneficial plant pathogens and their weed targets.
Sustainable land management
Extensive and damaging flood events have focused public attention on erosion. Capability to improve prediction of erosion was supported to understand the impact of land-use decisions. As part of this research we engaged with local Māori to work on the rehabilitation of a degraded catchment.
In another project we examined the potential for using innovative ”smart” tools (such as electromagnetic and hyperspectral sensors) to detect variations in soil condition in paddocks.
Remote sensing
New technology in remote sensing provides ever-increasing opportunities to gain a better understanding of changes in our natural environment. Capability was maintained and this allowed us to assemble time sequences of optical and radar images in a trial region to determine historical vegetation changes (1990 to present).
Greenhouse gases
Landcare Research has developed leading-edge techniques detecting stable isotopes of carbon to distinguish between above- and below-ground sources of carbon loss. That knowledge is important for understanding and measuring the ability of our forests to act as carbon sinks for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Nitrous oxide is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. New research was undertaken to develop and test chemical inhibitors to mitigate nitrous oxide emissions from farms, resulting in enhanced prediction capability at local and regional scales.
The Government is increasingly focusing on the impacts of climate change on our economy and society. We built up research capability in the area of economic adaptation to changing climate.
Urban environments
Capability was addressed in several different but interlinked ways in the increasingly important area of urban design-forsustainability. Government, developers and communities are placing stronger emphasis on the need for research in this area, as demands for increased quality of life and economic development are reconciled with the fact of scarcer natural resources.
A group of Māori researchers came together to develop urban design concepts that incorporate Māori concepts. Their eff orts were complemented by our social scientists, building capability beyond their core research skills in collaborative learning to explore the rationale behind householders’ preferences for different forms of urban development.
Using our Auckland building as a case study we have gained experience of post-occupancy monitoring of a sustainable building (see page 31).
Sustainable business and government
New Zealand businesses are increasingly seeing the value of paying attention to their environmental impacts, whether for enhancing their brand, reducing risks and costs, or just doing what they believe is the right thing. We have built on our ability to support businesses in understanding the impacts and opportunities of the sustainability agenda. We studied developments in export markets such as the debate over food miles (the environmental impacts of transporting food long distances to market), and the impacts of business on biodiversity through land-use in supply chains. We produced briefing documents to help businesses understand food miles and eco-labelling.
Regional futures
Three contrasting regional futures studies have enabled us to build capability in modelling complex scenarios of value to local government and community long-term planning.