$130 million of funding has been committed to boosting R&D efforts in companies and start-ups, $107m of which will come from the Government’s internationally focused growth package, with $23m re-prioritised from elsewhere in the science and innovation vote.

Detail about the new grants scheme that will account for the new funding is detailed here.

Additionally, changes to tax rules were announced that would allow loss-making start-up companies investing heavily in research and development to take advantage of tax breaks. Eligibility criteria for the scheme will be released next month ahead of public consultation.

Previously announced and reallocated

Elsewhere, previously announced Budget allocations, such as the National Science Challenges which receive $73.5 million in funding over the next four years, and funding for newly-formed Callaghan Innovation account for the bulk of changes on the positive side of the ledger within the science and innovation vote. The Marsden Fund receives an increase in funding ($46.8 million to $51.8 million),

“Realising the benefits of innovation” receives a $17.5 million allocation, and is described as “activities that build the level of, and returns from, science and technology-driven innovation through providing tailored brokerage and access to advice, technical services and facilities, and creating linkages, projects and collaborations between business and industry and Research Science and Technology providers”. Allocations for the KAREN advanced network ($4 million) and New Zealand access to the Australian Synchrotron $7.5 million) are also included.

Decreases in allocations include ”high value manufacturing”, which reduces from $187.5 million to $61.1 million year on year, Fellowships for Excellence ($13.4 million to $8.6 million) and Crown Research Institute core funding ($215.5 million to $201.6 million).

The SMC is gathering reaction to the Budget science and innovation allocations and will publish comments received here on the SMC website.

A fantastic data visualisation tool that lets users explore in-depth changes to the budget over time has been created by ChewyData’s Keith Ng.

UPDATED: Prof Shaun Hendy, President of the New Zealand Association of Scientists, comments:

“This is a pretty neutral budget for science, with an increase in spending that is slightly ahead of inflation. A focus on improving business R&D support is good to see — we need some imagination here, because our businesses spend considerably less on research and development than their counterparts in other advanced economies.

“One big caveat: although I am pleased to see an increase in the Marsden fund, this is still considerably down on the level of support it enjoyed a few years ago, especially once you take inflation into account. Basic science is something that really struggles in New Zealand and there are many excellent projects that will go unfunded this year.

“So overall, not a bad budget for science, but the sector needs a series of very good budgets if we are to catch up with the rest of the world in science and technology. Increases like those we have seen over the last few years really just see us standing still in this increasingly competitive world economy.”

Vote Science and Innovation appropriation estimates for 2013-14 are outlined here

Departmental appropriations consisting of:

• just under $30 million for advice and support to shape the science and innovation system, including policy advice, public consultation and engagement on National Science Challenges, contract management and strategic leadership in the Science and Innovation sector.

Non-departmental appropriations consisting of:

• under $202 million for Crown Research Institutes (CRI’s) to provide greater financial certainty to deliver outcomes for the benefit of New Zealand and to assist the CRI’s to contribute to the outcomes in their statement of core purpose

• just over $303 million for research and research applications in the areas of high value manufacturing and services, biological industries, health and society, environmental, hazards and infrastructure and energy and minerals

• under $145 million for Research and Development Growth Grants multi-year appropriation (MYA), Targeted Business Research and Development Funding MYA, and Repayable Grants for Start-Ups

• just over $42 million for National Science Challenges to fund specific research projects in seeking answers to the most pressing issues of national significance facing New Zealand

• under $19 million for services by the Crown entity Callaghan Innovation for development and maintenance of strategic capabilities required to meet immediate and future needs of business and industry

• under $52 million for the Marsden Fund for excellent fundamental research

• under $9 million for fellowships and grants to support the development of future research leaders

• under $13 million for contract management services with regard to research, science and technology contract with organisations or individuals

• just under $9 million for engaging New Zealanders with science and technology

• just over $16 million for the advice, brokerage and networking services provided by Callaghan

Innovation

• over $6 million for Research Contract Management

• under $6 million for providing specified standards to meet the needs for traceable physical measurements in New Zealand, and

• under $7 million for the development of skilled people and organisations undertaking research that supports the four themes of Vision M?tauranga.

Non-departmental other expenses consisting of:

• under $38 million for grants to organisations in New Zealand and overseas which ensures infrastructures and projects that have system-wide benefits or are too large for any one institution to fund, but are of benefit to New Zealand, can take place, and

• a total of $135,000 for membership to the Convention du Metre.

Non-departmental capital expenditure consisting of:

• just under $32 million to support the establishment and development of an advanced technology institute as the Crown entity Callaghan Innovation.

Departmental capital expenditure: please note that as a result of the formation of Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment all departmental capital expenditure is now under Vote Economic Development.

There is currently no indication of human to human transmission, but the severity of illness caused in many patients, and the limited information about the source or future potential of the virus, give cause for concern. Does H7N9 have the potential to become another global pandemic, or is it nothing to worry about?

Our colleagues at the UK Science Media Centre invited several leading virology and health experts for a Q&A session, to answer journalists’ questions on H7N9.

Click below to hear about what scientists know about this virus, how it compares to previous flu viruses, how scientists monitor emerging outbreaks such as this one, and whether it is ever possible to predict or prepare for what will happen next.

* NOTE: A clarification around Prof Farrar’s comments, where he talks about whether or not flu is in all 31 provinces of China. It turns out that surveillance is happening in all provinces but detection has not been confirmed in them all (still only small number of provinces with confirmed infection at the moment).

Speakers included:

Prof John McCauley, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza, MRC National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)

Prof Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme in Vietnam & Director-elect of the Wellcome Trust (via dial in)

Dr Colin Butter, Research Leader of the Avian Viral Immunology Group, the Pirbright Institute

Dr Mike Skinner, Senior Lecturer in Virology, Imperial College London

Prof Peter Openshaw, Director of the Centre for Respiratory Infection, Imperial College London

Prof Wendy Barclay, Chair In Influenza Virology, Imperial College London

Dr John Watson, Head of Respiratory Diseases, Public Health England

The areas of focus are:

1. Aging well
2. A better start
3. Healthier lives
4. High value nutrition
5. New Zealand’s biological heritage
6. Our land and water
7. Life in a changing ocean
8. The Deep South
9. Science for technological innovation
10. Resilience to nature’s challenges

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman this afternoon launched the National Science Challenges at Auckland Museum with the Prime Minister. They participated in a press conference with journalists. Click below to listen back to the audio…

• Suspension of the commercial catch of longfin eels until stocks are shown to have recovered
• Increased protection for longfin eels and other threatened migratory fish
• A fully-independent expert peer review panel to reassess the science, using the full range of information available on longfin eel population status

A copy of the complete report is available on the PCE’s website.

The Science Media Centre has rounded up commentary from freshwater and fisheries experts in reaction to the PCE’s recommendations.

Comments from experts contacted by the SMC (PDF)

LISTEN BACK TO AUDIO

Click below to hear a recording of the online media briefing launching the report.

USEFUL LINKS FOR FURTHER BACKGROUND

Freshwater eel (tuna) information resource – NIWA
Eel facts – Department of Conservation
Sustainable management of longfin eels – Ministry of Primary Industries
Recreational fisheries  - NZ shortfin and longfin eels – Ministry of Primary Industries
Manaaki Tuna – Longfin eel interest group calling for moratorium

The ‘big dry’ continues, with the entire North Island officially declared a drought zone and ongoing water restrictions in many regions.

How bad is this drought, and how long is it likely to last? What are the ongoing impacts on soil moisture and river flows, and how much rain will it take to reverse them? What do previous drought records show, and are things getting worse? Does a changing climate mean we should we expect more frequent severe droughts in future? Is drought the ‘new normal’?

The Science Media Centre held an online background briefing for journalists with scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) to answer these and other key questions about the drought.

SPEAKERS:

Dr Andrew Tait – Climate Scientist, NIWA, on soil moisture status
Roddy Henderson – Hydrologist, NIWA, on river flows
Dr Brett Mullan – Climate Scientist, NIWA, on historical context and outlook
Dr David Wratt, Chief Climate Scientist, NIWA, on climate change and drought

LISTEN BACK TO AUDIO FROM THE BRIEFING:

VIEW PRESENTERS’ SLIDES:

Deteriorating water quality and arguments over access to water resources have been in the headlines a lot this year. Scientists speaking out about clean water and water resource issues have attracted significant attention, not all of it positive. Meanwhile water and land issues remain unresolved, with tensions set to increase as pressure to intensify economic returns mounts.

‘Beyond the Limits‘ is the theme of this year’s Freshwater Science Society’s annual conference, which kicks off in Dunedin this week.

The Science Media Centre held an online briefing for journalists ahead of the NZFSS conference. Freshwater scientists on the panel discussed what ongoing intensification means for New Zealand’s environment — and for our reputation — and what we can do about it.

SPEAKERS:

• Dr Mike Joy - Director, Centre for Freshwater Ecosystem Management & Modelling, Massey University
• Prof David Dudgeon - Chair Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity and Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Science, University of Hong Kong
• Prof David Hamilton - University of Waikato, President of NZ Freshwater Science Society

Click above to view and listen back to the briefing, recorded Monday 3 December at 11:30 am.

The PCE’s report covers the background, environmental risks, current oversight and future implications of the use of unconventional techniques in oil and gas production in New Zealand.

The Science Media Centre has gathered comment from scientists and independent experts who have seen the full report.

Listen back to a recording of Dr Jan Wright launching the report in Wellington today. (Click below)

Source: PCE’s fracking report

Dr Rosemary Quinn, Head of Petroleum Geosciences at GNS Science comments:

“This is a timely and balanced report that sets out the concerns in New Zealand about possible environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry. Dr Wright has put fracking into context as a possible part of the life cycle of planning, drilling, operating and abandoning a well. She concludes that she has not seen anything that is a high and urgent concern that would warrant calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in New Zealand. The report rightly focusses on the need for effective regulation and enforcement in order to ensure the safe operation of hydraulic fracturing in New Zealand.”

On earthquake risk posed by fracking:

“Hydraulic fracturing causes micro-seismic activity as the cracks are formed and held open by the fluid and sand pumped down the well. These events typically have magnitudes in the range of -3.0 to 0.5 and are not felt at the surface.

“Rarely, hydraulic fracturing causes larger seismic events. Three instances have been investigated thoroughly and are referred to by the parliamentary Commisioner for the Environment in her report evaluating the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing in New Zealand. They are: Preese Hall, Lancashire, UK; Eola Field, Oklahoma, USA; and Horn River Basin, British Columbia, Canada. The largest magnitude of the seismic events recorded in these locations were 2.3, 2.8 and 3.8 respectively.

“The magnitude of the anomalous seismic events that have been linked to hydraulic fracturing are such that they would not stand out from the level of natural seismic activity that occurs annually in New Zealand.”

Prof Jenny Webster-Brown, Director of Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, University of Canterbury & Lincoln University, comments:

“From a philosophical standpoint, I’m afraid I cannot see why we should risk the environmental effects of fracking, in order to extract every last drop of the non-renewable fossil fuel resource. It is a stop-gap measure at best, and one which we could well regret. Surely the money and ingenuity dedicated to the development of fracking technology would be better redirected into the development of alternative fuels?

“Having said that, and assuming that fracking will inevitably become a more common practice in New Zealand, I found [the PCE's report] to be timely and balanced. As a water quality scientist, I do have concerns about the potential contamination of groundwater aquifers by fracking chemicals and deep oil field saline brines. Such contamination has been reported from countries where there has been a longer history of fracking, who have suffered the consequences of leaking well casings and blow outs. I strongly support the PCE’s call for effective regulation, requiring the industry to employ international standard best practice in well drilling and operation, and in fluid containment and management.

“I prefer to think that the lack of disclosure regarding fracking methods and chemicals, which has been such a significant source of concern overseas, should not be possible in New Zealand, as long as the existing Resource Management Act (RMA) resource consent process is followed.  For example, the Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) would require assessment of the potential toxicity and fate of fracking chemicals; this would be impossible to do without disclosing the nature of the chemicals. The PCE observes that national and regional regulators will need to develop, or have access to, appropriate expertise and resources to assess and minimise the potential environmental effects of fracking. I would support the requirement for a nationally-consistent regulatory approach to be in place before any consents for further fracking are granted.”

Dr Sally Gaw, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Chemistry, University of Canterbury, comments:

“The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report’s high level conclusion is that the environmental risks associated with fracking can be managed effectively provided that operational best practices are implemented and enforced through regulation.

“Even if operational best practices are implemented, blow-outs, mechanical failure and human error have the potential to contaminate soil, surface waters and groundwater. The consequences of a contamination incident have been understated in the report, as there are limited to no options for remediating groundwater and soil once contamination has occurred. The installation of a fracking well can provide a connection between geological layers that were previously isolated. This means that if a well casing does not remain intact forever there is a potential pathway between the fracked layer and any overlying aquifer. The cumulative effects of several fracking wells located in one region were not considered. This is a scenario that is likely to become increasingly common if the industry scales up.

“As identified in the report, a major concern is the wastewater produced and the contaminants it contains. These contaminants may be from the fracking fluid itself or released from the surrounding rock by the fracking process. A recent review by CSIRO scientists on environmental issues associated with coal seam gas recovery in Australia concluded that ‘there is little understanding of the concentrations and especially the temporal variability of the potential contaminants that may be present in produced water.’ There is very limited publicly available data on the types of contaminants and their concentrations in fracking wastewaters produced in New Zealand making it difficult to fully assess the potential environmental risks and/or identify New Zealand specific risks.”

Dr. Marlène Villeneuve, Lecturer – Rock Mechanics, University of Canterbury comments:

“This report presents rock mechanics issues surrounding fracking with objectivity, clarity and balanced coverage. The Commissioner has provided a sound overview of the basic principles of creating hydraulic fractures in oil and gas reservoir rock and has identified ways in which this has the potential to affect the environment. This information is fundamental to a fact-based national discussion on the environmental impacts of fracking.

“The first interim finding clearly recognises the importance of understanding the geology, and emphasizes that the geology of potential new fields will be different from the geology in Taranaki. The second interim finding addresses the design and construction of wells, focussing only on well integrity. This finding is silent on the act of hydraulic fracturing itself, despite the discussion in Section 4.4 regarding the potential environmental impacts of fracking the well. Interim findings one and two must be explicitly linked so that wells are appropriately designed and constructed for each well site location. It is important to stress that in order for regulators and companies to be able to develop best practices the response of the reservoir rocks to fracking must be understood for each geological area where oil and gas extraction will be undertaken. This understanding will only be achieved through the close collaboration of the Government, industry and research organisations.”

Rosalind Archer, Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, comments:

“The interim report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has come to a conclusion that “environmental risks associated with fracking can be managed effectively” provided that operational best practices are followed. This stance is consistent with the United Kingdom Royal Society investigation. Phase two of the Parliamentary Commissioner’s investigation will address whether international best practice is being followed in New Zealand. I anticipate that fracturing operations currently being conducted in New Zealand will be shown to follow all relevant international standards for well siting, design and construction.

“It is important that oil and gas companies have a social licence to operate. Transparency has been shown to be very important. Todd Energy have fractured several wells in New Zealand and produced a comprehensive submission to the Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office that describes their approach to the fracturing process and summaries their fracturing operations to date in New Zealand. The public and the media are encouraged to access the document here.

Dr Julie Rowland, School of Environment, University of Auckland, comments:

“The interim report presents a fair and succinct summary of the challenges and opportunities arising from the use of fracking to extract oil and gas from NZ’s petroleum basins. The Commissioner rightly highlights the importance of appropriate government oversight and regulation to enforce operational best practise if environmental risks are to be managed effectively.

“Perhaps less well-articulated is the need for high-quality research to inform best practise in relation to three of the first four findings, which focus on well location, design and construction, and the storage and disposal of waste. In my view, an expansion of fracking in the NZ context must be accompanied by well-resourced research into the 3D geological context of the relevant petroleum basins, particularly on the Hikurangi Margin, and also the interplay between injection of fracking fluid and the generation and reactivation of fractures in the NZ context.”

The technology required to sequence your genome is now more accessible than ever. Already companies are offering sequencing services for private citizens. But what can this data tell you – or your insurance provider, the courts or a snooping neighbour – about your health?

The Science Media Centre held a media briefing to outline the current state of genomics and personalised medicine in New Zealand, and explore the legal and ethical implications of current and future sequencing technologies.

SPEAKERS:

• Dr Tony Lough, Chief Executive of New Zealand Genomics Limited, heads New Zealand’s leading genomics infrastructure partnered with several CRIs and Universities. He outlines about how DNA sequencing technology has advanced over the last decade, where New Zealand is at, and what the future may hold.

• Assoc Prof Cristin Print, University of Auckland, is a medical scientist with a background in bioinformatics, and discusses what genomic data can and cannot (yet) tell us about our health.

• Prof Mark Henagan, Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Otago, is the Principal Investigator for the NZ Law Foundation funded Human Genome Research Project. He explores the ethical, legal and public policy considerations of advances in genetics.

Technology writer Richard McManus was also be on hand to discuss his consumer experience in getting his own genome sequenced through private company 23andMe.

The complex problem of obesity – and its potential solutions – is the focus of  the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS), taking place in Auckland this week. And ahead of the meeting, several key international and local speakers agreed to share some of their research as part of a SMC online briefing.

The ANZOS Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to bring together clinicians, scientists, policy makers and patients to work toward an integrated approach to improve the management and prevention of obesity in Australasia.
The theme of the meeting is ‘For our children’s children‘, and, despite exploring wildly different topics, all three speakers covered their area of expertise with an eye towards the future.

You view the briefing by clicking on the button below.

SPEAKERS:

• Prof Wayne Cutfield, Director of the Liggins Institute, examines how the earliest stages of human development can have a lifelong impact on an individual’s weight and health.

• Prof Barbara J. Rolls, Head of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Pennsylvania State University, USA, explains the importance of healthy food in children’s diets and reveals a few tricks to get kids eating more vegetables.

• Prof Jacqueline Rowarth, Professor of AgriBusiness at the University of Waikato, outlines how modern agriculture has improved the quality, quantity and cost of foods reaching our plates and elaborates on how this must continue in a sustainable way to fully benefit our children’s children.

How obese is New Zealand? check out a Science Media Centre infographic of the most current stats  here.

How the media cover climate change was the focus of talk by this week by Prof Raffaell Ocone, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, which aimed to give an engineer’s perspective on the issue and science in the media in general.

Prof Ocone, who was in New Zealand for the Chemca 2012 Chemical Engineering conference in Wellington, drew on British and Italian examples to show how varied coverage of climate change can be and highlighted the need for scientists and engineers to engage with media to reach a wider public audience.

She also noted that the media have a limited conceptual understanding of what separates ‘engineering’ and ‘science’, a distinction she captured in a quote from Aerospace Engineer Theodore von Karman: “Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was”.

Below, you can listen to, and view slides from Prof Ocone’s talk, titled ‘Climate change and the UK media: An engineer’s view’*.

Prof Ocone was speaking in New Zealand thanks to the support of the British High Commission in Wellington.
*Please excuse variable audio quality.