Grant Jacobs • Jun 10, 2015 •
Imagine, if you will, a research institute or group with enough ‘critical mass’ of work around a particular area of science.[1] Now imagine one[2] of the scientists within the institute being assigned a part-time role as a science communicator, with the remainder of their time doing research work within the institute. A 60:40 science and science-communication role, say. Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Jun 03, 2014 •
Last week saw Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce release the National Statement on Scientific Investment, a lengthy document outlining how funding should be spent on science in NZ over the next decade. You can download the draft statement from here. The government have asked for feedback and we have until the 22nd August … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • May 16, 2014 •
This week has seen budget announcements from both Australia and New Zealand and it is a story of opposites when it comes to science funding. The fabulous Keith Ng (@keith_ng) has produced a great dynamic infographic if you want to see where New Zealand is going to be spending it’s money and how this … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • May 08, 2014 •
The NZ government today announced the country’s next Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs), who between them will receive just under $35 million per year for 6 years starting in January 2015. They are: The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, hosted by University of Auckland MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, hosted … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • May 01, 2014 •
Life as we know it could end in ten years if we don’t start taking drastic action. This is the message to come out of a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), their first look at antibiotic resistance around the world. The report finds that antibiotic resistant superbugs are present in every region of the world … Read More
Shaun Hendy • Jun 27, 2011 •
The Allan Wilson Centre ca 2002. Penny and Hendy are second and third from the left in the back row. No, it’s not me … it’s my Dad, Mike Hendy, who retires this week from his Chair in Mathematical Biology at Massey University in Palmerston North. Not surprisingly, people often ask me whether I am related to Mike Hendy. Hendy … Read More
Shaun Hendy • Sep 15, 2010 •
The World Economic Forum has just released its latest global competitiveness rankings for 2010-11. New Zealand has fallen from 20th to 23rd place, and is now seven places behind Australia. What puts us behind our competitors, and why are we slipping? First, not all the news is bad. We are ranked particularly well for the quality of our … Read More
Shaun Hendy • Aug 18, 2010 •
It seems to have become received wisdom recently that New Zealand must pick winners with its public science investment. In this post, I argue that this is not new: we picked our winners a long time ago, with a strong focus on agricultural and environmental sciences. So what are the pros and cons … Read More