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Venture Capitalists & Research Funders

Research funders

The following purchase agents allocate research funding and manage research contracts. There are three which MoRST works with:

• Foundation for Research, Science and Technology: invests funds for research and development and scientific services that fall within the definition of "public good" science and technology (eg social, environmental and industry development purposes). It also invests in long-term strategic research and invests in pre-commercial research and development, through the Technology New Zealand scheme. It provides independent policy advice on science and technology to the Government.
• Health Research Council of New Zealand(HRC) is the main funder of health research, supporting about 65% of the national effort. The Council supports a range of investigator-initiated research, which includes basic biomedical, clinical, public health and health services research.
• Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) is an independent, national academy of sciences, and a federation of scientific and technological societies. It manages the Marsden Fund and a range of science promotion activities. It also provides expert advice on important public issues to the Government and the community. It has a special place in the science system because it most directly represents those individual scientists and their professional societies who make up the science community. Co-Lab International is a website run by the Royal Society of New Zealand, and funded by MoRST. It is designed to point New Zealand scientists to international collaborative opportunities.
• MoRST also works closely with the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Limited. NZVIF Ltd was established on 1 July 2002 with the purpose of accelerating the development of the venture capital market in New Zealand. NZVIF Ltd will do this by co-investing with the private sector in venture capital funds managed by private sector managers.

Government agencies

Other government agencies with research and/or innovation policy or funding responsibilities include the following:

• Creative New Zealand
• Department of Labour
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
• Ministry of Economic Development (MED)
• MED is also responsible for the Intellectual Property Office and the Plant Variety Rights Office
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
• Ministry of Fisheries
• Ministry of Social Development
• New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
• Statistics New Zealand

Tertiary Research Funding

Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) - a crown entity responsible for funding post-compulsory education and training. TEC administers the Performance Based Research Fund, which allocates funding to institutions based on the quality of their research, and funding for the Centres of Research Excellence.

Source: MoRST, NZ