NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 70

24 JUNE 2010

• communities, and the scientific underpinning for risk assessments/simulation models.

Urban development and infrastructure:

• Research into the development and management of cities and towns, addressing lifestyles, economic and community development, economic, environmental and social infrastructure, networks, governance, buildings and spaces, and the ways people use them.

• Infrastructure research to improve the development, provision and resilience of essential infrastructure networks, systems and services. The research will include studies on interactions between physical infrastructure and the human environment to support economic, environmental, cultural and social wellbeing.

This investment area will fund a wide range of multidisciplinary (physical, social, economic and cultural) research and systems-based approaches to meet the needs of government, councils, communities and businesses in managing hazards, and urban and infrastructure development.

Tools for Allocating Funding

Research, science and technology supported under this Scheme must in each case fit one of the following Tools¹:

• Science-led contestable funding – investing through a contestable process in RS&T and related activities.

• Long-term non-contestable funding – using non-contestable processes to invest in research, science and technology and related activities.

• Commercialisation and technology and knowledge transfer support – research to increase the stream of commercial prospects from publicly-funded RS&T, and supporting and equipping users to engage with research organisations and applying the results of publicly funded RS&T.

• Partnerships – support RS&T and related activities that provides for early and ongoing user engagement in RS&T and develops user-capability in engaging productively with researchers.

Estimated Funding

An estimate of the amount of funds required to be allocated by the Foundation for the purposes of the Scheme is $23.55 million in 2010/11, excluding GST. Actual funding available will be published each year in the annual Estimates of Appropriation.

Estimated Period of Operation

I estimate that the Scheme will operate for a minimum of three years from 1 July 2010; however I anticipate reviewing this notice by 1 July 2011.

Monitoring Agency

The Ministry of Research, Science and Technology will monitor and review the Scheme.

Performance Measures

Annual performance measures for the Scheme will be published in the annual Estimates of Appropriation. Additional performance measures to measure progress will be specified in the Output Agreement.

Dated this 1st day of June 2010.

HON DR WAYNE MAPP, Minister of Research, Science and Technology.

¹A description of each tool is contained in the Supplementary Notice of Tools for Ministerial Schemes under section 8A of the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology Act 1990, published in the New Zealand Gazette on the same date as this notice.

Notice of Introduction of a Ministerial Scheme

Under Section 8A of the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology Act 1990—Health and Society Research

Direction to: The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (“the Foundation”).

Under section 8A of the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology Act 1990, I direct the Foundation to allocate funds in accordance with the Health and Society Research Scheme (“the Scheme”) as specified in this notice.

Note: The Health component of the appropriation that funds this Scheme (which is the majority of the appropriation) goes to the Health Research Council and is governed by separate accountability documents. This Direction addresses only the society research component of the appropriation which is managed by the Foundation.

Objective of the Scheme

The objective of the Scheme is to increase understanding of the social and economic factors contributing to improved health and social wellbeing of New Zealanders.

The Scheme will support research, science and technology (RS&T) that is intended to be of benefit to New Zealand.

It is also expected that the Scheme will support relevant research that contributes to unlocking the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people as outlined in the Vision Mātauranga policy framework. International collaboration will be supported where this is relevant and of benefit to the objectives of the Scheme.

Indicators of Success

If successful, the Scheme will generate and support the uptake of RS&T that will contribute to:

• innovations in social and economic policy, social services delivery in central and local government, community services sectors, and business arising from an increased understanding of key social and economic trends and behaviours.

The above indicator will be measured by the Foundation at a sector level and will provide some indication of the success of the Scheme through regular evaluations.

Nature of the Scheme

The Scheme will achieve its objectives by supporting RS&T in the following areas:

• Society – Research to understand, anticipate and help manage major societal challenges, trends and implications – such as changes in population and life course, social structures and institutions, wealth generation, lifestyles and values – to inform social and economic policies and services. Important priorities are the determinants of wellbeing and seeking solutions to problems such as inequalities, social exclusion, acquiring knowledge, poverty, housing, and anti-social behaviour such as crime, delinquency and drugs.

• Economy – Research on New Zealand’s economic and technological development in the wider context of social, cultural and economic wellbeing. Priority areas include research on economic performance, productivity, knowledge production and exploitation, innovation systems, skills, indigenous innovation, the economy, and sustainable development of technologies.

Tools for Allocating Funding

RS&T supported under this Scheme must in each case fit one of the following tools:

• Science-led contestable funding – investing through a contestable process in RS&T and related activities.